10 industries where the smallest businesses pay the highest wages

Woman accepting a delivery of boxes from courier.
comzeal images // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $1,186
--- $8 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#10. Couriers and messengers
Rolls of galvanized steel sheet inside a factory.
Vladimir Mulder // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $2,234
--- $11 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#9. Primary metal manufacturing
Woman standing at desk giving her card to the receptionist.
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $1,241
--- $123 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#8. Administrative and support services
An employees speaks on the phone in front of shelves of wine in a wholesale outlet.
Canva

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $2,123
--- $129 more than companies with 250 to 499 employees

#7. Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods
Young nurse talking to senior woman at an assisted living facility.
SeventyFour // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $1,024
--- $173 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#6. Nursing and residential care facilities
Rows of paper rolls in a factory.
industryviews // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $2,235
--- $311 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#5. Paper manufacturing
Plastic bottle manufacturing process.
Pixel B // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $1,843
--- $346 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#4. Plastics and rubber products manufacturing
Storehouse employee in uniform walking in modern automatic warehouse.
alinabuphoto // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $1,412
--- $568 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#3. Warehousing and storage
Manufacturing assembly line of microwave ovens.
Andrew Will // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $2,174
--- $618 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

#2. Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing
Hospital staff walking in a hallway.
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock

- Average weekly pay at industry's smallest companies: $2,475
--- $872 more than companies with 1,000 employees or more

Data reporting by Paxtyn Merten. Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.

#1. Hospitals
Paper mill factory workers.
Mark Agnor // Shutterstock