How many sign shops are in California, and what do they pay?
Where California sits in the state ranking
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 7,555 | $62,919 | |
| 2 | California | 6,350 | $70,085 | |
| 3 | Florida | 4,608 | $63,240 | |
| 4 | New York | 3,572 | $72,222 |
Every state's shop count, ranked, is on the home page. The most shops: Texas with 748. U.S. total: 7,672 shops, 76,766 employees, $65,386 average pay.
Sign shops in California since 2014
California had 526 sign shops in 2014 and 695 in 2025, 169 more. Average pay moved from $47,079 to $70,085, up 48.9%. Every state's pay, ranked, is on the sign maker salary page.
| Year | Sign shops | Employees | Weekly pay | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 695 | 6,350 | $1,348 | $70,085 |
| 2024 | 671 | 6,257 | $1,331 | $69,230 |
| 2023 | 673 | 6,324 | $1,296 | $67,410 |
| 2022 | 649 | 6,130 | $1,254 | $65,193 |
| 2021 | 637 | 6,154 | $1,252 | $65,105 |
| 2020 | 641 | 6,401 | $1,139 | $59,227 |
| 2019 | 646 | 7,126 | $1,039 | $54,021 |
| 2018 | 651 | 7,382 | $1,007 | $52,339 |
| 2017 | 583 | 7,179 | $980 | $50,935 |
| 2016 | 553 | 6,746 | $961 | $49,963 |
| 2015 | 540 | 6,285 | $926 | $48,144 |
| 2014 | 526 | 5,814 | $905 | $47,079 |
Sign shops by metro area in California
The largest metro areas touching California, from the BLS 2024 metro figures, the latest year published for metro areas. A metro area that crosses a state line is counted whole. "Concentration" compares sign shops' share of the area's private employers with their share nationally (1.00× = the national share). 14 smaller metro areas are on the full metro list.
| Metro area | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles area | 263 | 2,548 | $64,368 | 0.58× |
| San Diego area | 77 | 613 | $79,003 | 0.92× |
| San Francisco area | 66 | — | — | 0.47× |
| Riverside area | 58 | 807 | $62,931 | 0.56× |
| Sacramento area | 34 | — | — | 0.52× |
| Fresno area | 23 | — | — | 0.73× |
| San Jose area | 20 | 129 | $73,455 | 0.37× |
| Santa Rosa area | 16 | 89 | $64,722 | 1.18× |
| Oxnard area | 13 | 72 | $50,976 | 0.66× |
| Stockton area | 13 | 109 | $34,565 | 0.94× |
Every metro area, ranked by sign shops.
Putting up a sign in California
The shops counted here sell into cities that each permit signs under their own code, and the permit is usually the longest step in a sign job. For the largest local market in these figures, PrinterFlo's summary of the sign rules in San Diego sets out what needs a permit, the size limits and what the city checks before a sign goes up.
Common questions
How many sign shops are in California?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 695 sign manufacturing establishments in California in 2025 (annual average, private employers), ranking California 2 of 51 states. Together they employed 6,350 people, about 9.1 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in California?
Average annual pay across California's sign shops was $70,085 in 2025, 7% above the U.S. sign industry average of $65,386. That is total payroll divided by employment, so it blends fabricators, designers, installers and owners on payroll.
What counts as a sign shop in these figures?
An establishment with payroll classified under NAICS 339950, Sign Manufacturing: businesses whose main activity is making signs, including electric and non-electric signs, channel letters, printed banners and vehicle graphics. Print shops, engravers and installation contractors classified under other codes are not included, and neither are owner-only shops with no employees.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), annual averages, private ownership, NAICS 339950 Sign Manufacturing, California, 2014 to 2025 annual averages (metro areas 2024), read September 24, 2026. Average pay = total annual wages ÷ annual average employment. Ranks computed from the 51 states with a published establishment count.