How many sign shops are in North Dakota, and what do they pay?
Where North Dakota sits in the state ranking
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | New Hampshire | 277 | $72,163 | |
| 41 | South Dakota | 2,347 | $66,855 | |
| 42 | North Dakota | 192 | $57,463 | |
| 43 | Maine | 230 | $57,865 | |
| 44 | Hawaii | 101 | $51,653 |
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 North Dakota since 2014
North Dakota had 26 sign shops in 2014 and 30 in 2025, 4 more. Average pay moved from $43,490 to $57,463, up 32.1%. Every state's pay, ranked, is on the sign maker salary page.
| Year | Sign shops | Employees | Weekly pay | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30 | 192 | $1,105 | $57,463 |
| 2024 | 28 | 187 | $1,067 | $55,492 |
| 2023 | 28 | 185 | $1,068 | $55,559 |
| 2022 | 31 | 187 | $948 | $49,321 |
| 2021 | 31 | 172 | $885 | $46,032 |
| 2020 | 30 | 168 | $851 | $44,256 |
| 2019 | 27 | 191 | $893 | $46,439 |
| 2018 | 26 | 181 | $908 | $47,226 |
| 2017 | 26 | 187 | $868 | $45,123 |
| 2016 | 26 | 193 | $882 | $45,856 |
| 2015 | 27 | 197 | $848 | $44,079 |
| 2014 | 26 | 191 | $836 | $43,490 |
Sign shops by metro area in North Dakota
The largest metro areas touching North Dakota, 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).
| Metro area | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck area | 9 | — | — | 2.51× |
| Fargo areaNorth Dakota, Minnesota | 8 | — | — | 1.16× |
| Grand Forks areaNorth Dakota, Minnesota | 4 | — | — | 1.67× |
| Minot area | 3 | — | — | 1.54× |
Every metro area, ranked by sign shops.
Putting up a sign in North Dakota
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 Fargo 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 North Dakota?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 30 sign manufacturing establishments in North Dakota in 2025 (annual average, private employers), ranking North Dakota 42 of 51 states. Together they employed 192 people, about 6.4 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in North Dakota?
Average annual pay across North Dakota's sign shops was $57,463 in 2025, 12% below 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, North Dakota, 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.