L.A. County Tops the Nation in Employers but Not Wages

For the most chances to get a job, consider working in Los Angeles. But if you want to earn a high wage, try New York City.

A new U.S. Census Bureau report being released today shows that populous Los Angeles County leads the nation with the largest number of businesses while Manhattan tops the chart with the highest average salary. The bureau’s 2003 County Business Patterns report analyzes business establishments in more than 1,000 industries on the national, state and local levels. The data are used by business planners to study economic activity.

In the report, Los Angeles County had 235,000 businesses, followed by Cook County, Ill., with 128,000 and Manhattan, also known as New York County, with 103,000.

In 2003, businesses in Los Angeles County had 3.8 million workers, who earned $147 billion. Cook County had 2.4 million employees, who made $102 billion, and New York City had 2 million workers and a payroll of $148 billion.

Among the nation’s most populous counties, Manhattan had the highest average annual salary per worker at $73,000; the lowest average was in Riverside County at $29,000.

Rounding out the top five counties with the largest number of businesses are Harris County, Texas, with 86,000 and Orange County with 83,000.