Small businesses in Boston: 2022 numbers
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area had 133,233 businesses with paid staff in 2022. Of the 49 industries below, the most common are restaurants, general contractors, law firms. Each page shows local pay and firm sizes, with a calculator for what admin hours cost there.
Industries in Boston
| Industry | Businesses | Avg pay | Under 10 staff | US rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 4,572 | $32,761 | 41% | 10th |
| General contractors | 4,095 | $87,714 | 93% | 5th |
| Law firms | 3,048 | $159,178 | 86% | 11th |
| Landscapers | 2,853 | $70,730 | 89% | 3rd |
| Dental practices | 2,428 | $65,736 | 71% | 10th |
| Plumbers | 2,179 | $89,861 | 79% | 6th |
| Hair salons | 1,988 | $33,177 | 84% | 6th |
| Coffee shops | 1,831 | $22,028 | 44% | 5th |
| Electricians | 1,789 | $92,181 | 84% | 5th |
| Preschools and daycares | 1,741 | $34,649 | 49% | 7th |
| Real estate agents | 1,682 | $120,838 | 94% | 23rd |
| Insurance agencies | 1,546 | $110,414 | 83% | 15th |
| Cleaning services | 1,273 | $36,964 | 77% | 8th |
| Auto repair shops | 1,248 | $53,837 | 93% | 10th |
| Gyms | 1,032 | $20,901 | 56% | 4th |
| Property management companies | 995 | $70,332 | 78% | 11th |
| IT services companies | 898 | $118,206 | 75% | 16th |
| Nail salons | 878 | $27,895 | 87% | 5th |
| Accounting firms | 834 | $127,141 | 80% | 11th |
| E-commerce brands | 775 | $113,412 | 84% | 16th |
| Physical therapy practices | 688 | $52,710 | 73% | 12th |
| Architects | 617 | $104,686 | 75% | 6th |
| Pet groomers | 571 | $29,004 | 76% | 4th |
| Financial advisors | 541 | $181,582 | 90% | 8th |
| Boutique hotels | 532 | $42,517 | 39% | 11th |
| Bookkeepers | 525 | $78,580 | 83% | 19th |
| Therapy practices | 517 | $53,220 | 82% | 17th |
| Chiropractors | 485 | $43,300 | 98% | 18th |
| Music schools | 440 | $20,974 | 74% | 4th |
| Veterinary clinics | 415 | $51,321 | 44% | 12th |
| Commercial real estate firms | 396 | $165,905 | 79% | 10th |
| Car dealerships | 329 | $88,739 | 18% | 7th |
| Bars and breweries | 325 | $30,895 | 54% | 27th |
| Interior designers | 320 | $77,069 | 94% | 10th |
| Catering companies | 308 | $44,482 | 66% | 7th |
| Roofers | 297 | $80,164 | 83% | 17th |
| Optometrists | 288 | $58,161 | 83% | 13th |
| Florists | 218 | $31,056 | 85% | 5th |
| Moving companies | 215 | $58,877 | 64% | 7th |
| Tutoring centers | 206 | $30,492 | 66% | 12th |
| Marketing agencies | 205 | $117,618 | 69% | 16th |
| Bakeries | 204 | $39,516 | 76% | 6th |
| Pest control companies | 184 | $63,170 | 76% | 14th |
| Food trucks | 175 | $26,822 | 90% | 9th |
| Golf courses | 162 | $63,393 | 39% | 3rd |
| Recruiting agencies | 144 | $97,278 | 58% | 9th |
| Photographers | 129 | $41,420 | 94% | 20th |
| Mortgage brokers | 126 | $113,207 | 79% | 21st |
| Barbershops | 124 | $32,997 | 93% | 9th |
Where these numbers come from
The U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (released 2024). Counties in this metro: Essex County, Massachusetts; Middlesex County, Massachusetts; Norfolk County, Massachusetts; Plymouth County, Massachusetts; Suffolk County, Massachusetts; Rockingham County, New Hampshire; Strafford County, New Hampshire. Page checked 2026-11-12.