Last updated: 14 October 2026 How many people work in the US securities industry? We pulled monthly payroll employment for securities, commodity contracts and investment firms from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics survey, January 2019 to September 2026.
US securities and investment firms employed 1,174,000 people in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, per the BLS preliminary estimate. That ties August as the highest in this series since at least 2019.
Employment was up 2.4% on a year earlier (1,146.8 thousand in September 2025).
Since February 2020, the industry has grown 22%, against 4% for all US nonfarm jobs. It now accounts for 0.74% of US payroll employment.
Without seasonal adjustment the September figure is 1,171.9 thousand, down from 1,184.2 in August; the adjusted series is the better guide to the trend. The October report is due 6 November 2026.
Securities industry employment, September each year (thousands)
| Year | Seasonally adjusted | Not seasonally adjusted | Share of all US payroll jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 (Sep) | 963.5 | 962.5 | 0.64% |
| 2020 (Sep) | 966.6 | 966.3 | 0.68% |
| 2021 (Sep) | 1,002.7 | 998.0 | 0.68% |
| 2022 (Sep) | 1,068.1 | 1,063.2 | 0.70% |
| 2023 (Sep) | 1,105.9 | 1,101.0 | 0.71% |
| 2024 (Sep) | 1,117.9 | 1,117.5 | 0.71% |
| 2025 (Sep) | 1,146.8 | 1,146.6 | 0.72% |
| 2026 (Sep) | 1,174.0 | 1,171.9 | 0.74% |
The industry is NAICS 523: securities and commodity contracts intermediation and brokerage, securities and commodity exchanges, and other financial investment activities such as portfolio management and investment advice.
What it covers, and what it doesn’t
This counts employees on payrolls. Independent traders using prop firm evaluation accounts are customers, not employees, so they are not in these numbers. Staff of US-based prop firms and brokers may be. For job openings rather than employment, see banking and finance job postings.
Sources
- BLS series CES5552300001 (seasonally adjusted) and CEU5552300001 (not adjusted), securities, commodity contracts and other financial investments, all employees.
- BLS series CES0000000001, total nonfarm employment. All via the BLS Public Data API, read 14 October 2026.
Method
Figures are thousands of employees from the monthly survey of about 120,000 businesses and government agencies. The latest two months are preliminary and are usually revised in the next two reports, and the whole series is benchmarked each February.
Share of payroll jobs divides the seasonally adjusted industry figure by seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment for the same month.
Caveats
Preliminary estimates can change. The September 2026 figure may be revised on 6 November 2026.
The industry includes asset managers and investment advisers as well as brokers and traders, so it is broader than trading jobs.
Self-employed people and independent contractors are not counted.
How to cite this
Prop Data Lab, “US Securities Industry Employment (BLS)”, updated 14 October 2026, https://propdatalab.com/us-securities-industry-employment-bls/
The table and the CSV are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: copy, chart or republish them, commercial use included, as long as you link back to this page. Source data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Common questions
How many people work in the securities industry in the US?
About 1,174,000 in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, per the BLS preliminary estimate.
Is securities industry employment growing?
Yes. It was up 2.4% on a year earlier and 22% since February 2020.
Are prop firm traders counted?
No. Traders on prop firm evaluation or funded accounts are customers, not payroll employees.
When is the next update?
The BLS Employment Situation report for October 2026 is scheduled for 6 November 2026.