Which American Food Manufacturing Industries Employ the Most People?
While bakeries lead in terms of total establishments, animal slaughtering and processing employs the most people by far
Source: Trace One analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data
Food manufacturing encompasses dozens of industries that produce everything from bread and dairy products to meat, beverages, and frozen foods. While these industries all play an important role in supplying America's grocery stores, they differ substantially in size, workforce needs, and economic impact. Some industries consist of thousands of small production facilities, while others rely on fewer but much larger plants that employ hundreds—or even thousands—of workers. Comparing both employment and the number of establishments provides a more complete picture of how each sector contributes to the nation's food manufacturing economy.
Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing accounted for the largest number of food manufacturing establishments in 2025, with 16,081 facilities nationwide—more than the next two categories combined. Yet when measured by employment, animal slaughtering and processing stands apart from every other segment, employing 556,070 workers—exceeding the second-largest employer, bakeries and tortilla manufacturing (346,864 workers), by over 200,000. Other major employers include produce preserving and specialty food manufacturing (173,857) and dairy product manufacturing (168,201).
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