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Wholesale trade in the United States

This page gathers the figures we hold on wholesale trade in the United States. Each section names its own source.

Each source groups industries its own way, so the edges of wholesale trade differ a little from section to section.

What businesses sold for

The median and the middle half, in times EBITDA. The figure is the median. Under it are the middle half and the number of deals.
  1. Wholesale distributors8.5 times EBITDA, middle half 7.5 to 9.5, 10+ deals
Deal details

Wholesale distributors: median 8.5 times EBITDA. The middle half of deals ran from 7.5 to 9.5 times (10+ deals of US$6.7 million to US$333 million, announced 2002 to 2025).

Sizes are converted from our size range of A$10 million to A$500 million, at the fixed rate our database uses to place overseas deals: US$1 = A$1.50. The rate stays fixed, so the range always describes the same deals.

See what US businesses sell for, by sector.

These are deals for US businesses in our database, not every deal in the market.

Source: deals in our database with a published value. Counts by onestepright.

Compare sale multiples across countries.

Operating margins

In the four quarters to June 2026, operating profit came to 3.1% of sales across the industry's corporations. That is profit after depreciation, before interest and tax.

Corporations with $50 million or more of assets only.

Every corporation in the survey is added together, so the figures are not a typical business. Outside manufacturing they are large companies. The margin is our calculation from the Census Bureau's figures.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Financial Report, the four quarters to the second quarter of 2026. Margins computed by onestepright.

How many businesses are still active

Out of 100 businesses started in 2020

About 66 in every 100 were still active three years later.

The Census Bureau counts businesses with employees. The rate is our calculation from its counts.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Dynamics Statistics (2023 release). Survival computed by onestepright.

What costs did

What wage rates and input prices did in this industry. Each comes from its own BLS series and grouping of industries. The wage series holds the mix of jobs fixed, so it tracks pay rates.

What costs did, the year to June 2026
  1. Wage rates+3.0%

Each bar comes from its own BLS series, named below.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index, wages and salaries, private industry, 12 months to June 2026.

No BLS price series measures this industry's inputs closely enough to show.

Prices businesses expect to charge

In September 2026, 47.1% of wholesale trade businesses expected their prices to be higher six months on. Across all businesses, 38.4% did.

The Census Bureau asks businesses with employees every two weeks. Each business counts once, whatever its size.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, 7 to 20 September 2026.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures marked as ours are onestepright's calculations from their published data.

See wholesale trade in Australia.

See wholesale trade in New Zealand.

See wholesale trade in the United Kingdom.

See wholesale trade in Canada.

Who in your business can move a price, and by how much? The pricing check takes about ten minutes.

Wholesale trade in the United States: deals, margins and costs · onestepright