How many sign shops are in New Jersey, and what do they pay?
New Jersey against the states around it
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 2,935 | $65,763 | |
| 10 | Michigan | 1,978 | $60,365 | |
| 11 | New Jersey | 1,991 | $70,504 | |
| 12 | Tennessee | 2,038 | $57,722 | |
| 13 | South Carolina | 1,726 | $58,640 |
The full ranking of all 51 states is on the home page. The most shops: Texas with 713. U.S. total: 7,581 shops, 76,480 employees, $63,399 average pay.
Putting up a sign in New Jersey
Every city these shops sell into permits signs under its own code, and the permit is usually the longest step in a sign job. PrinterFlo's sign-code summaries by city set out, for the cities covered so far, what needs a permit, the size limits and what the city checks before a sign goes up.
Questions
How many sign shops are in New Jersey?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 207 sign manufacturing establishments in New Jersey in 2024 (annual average, private employers), ranking New Jersey 11 of 51 states. Together they employed 1,991 people, about 9.6 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in New Jersey?
Average annual pay across New Jersey's sign shops was $70,504 in 2024, 11% above the U.S. sign industry average of $63,399. 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, New Jersey, 2024 and 2023 annual averages, read September 22, 2026. Average pay = total annual wages ÷ annual average employment. Ranks computed from the 51 states with a published establishment count.