How many sign shops are in West Virginia, and what do they pay?
Where West Virginia sits in the state ranking
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | Hawaii | 101 | $51,653 | |
| 45 | Delaware | 130 | $47,553 | |
| 46 | West Virginia | 105 | $46,514 | |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 82 | $65,370 | |
| 48 | Alaska | 81 | $49,636 |
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 West Virginia since 2014
West Virginia had 21 sign shops in 2014 and 23 in 2025, 2 more. Average pay moved from $30,973 to $46,514, up 50.2%. Every state's pay, ranked, is on the sign maker salary page.
| Year | Sign shops | Employees | Weekly pay | Annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23 | 105 | $895 | $46,514 |
| 2024 | 22 | 100 | $807 | $41,944 |
| 2023 | 21 | 101 | $746 | $38,793 |
| 2022 | 23 | 118 | $695 | $36,159 |
| 2021 | 22 | 110 | $677 | $35,182 |
| 2020 | 22 | 97 | $691 | $35,956 |
| 2019 | 20 | 98 | $664 | $34,510 |
| 2018 | 20 | 107 | $653 | $33,970 |
| 2017 | 20 | 121 | $624 | $32,453 |
| 2016 | 23 | 132 | $632 | $32,845 |
| 2015 | 21 | 123 | $646 | $33,569 |
| 2014 | 21 | 88 | $596 | $30,973 |
Sign shops by metro area in West Virginia
The largest metro areas touching West Virginia, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington areaDistrict of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia | 74 | — | — | 0.54× |
| Hagerstown areaMaryland, West Virginia | 5 | — | — | 1.02× |
| Huntington areaWest Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio | 5 | — | — | 0.75× |
| Weirton areaWest Virginia, Ohio | 3 | — | — | 1.63× |
| Morgantown area | 2 | — | — | 0.63× |
| Parkersburg area | 2 | — | — | 1.16× |
| Wheeling areaWest Virginia, Ohio | 2 | — | — | 0.77× |
| Winchester areaVirginia, West Virginia | 2 | — | — | 0.76× |
| Beckley area | 1 | — | — | 0.42× |
Every metro area, ranked by sign shops.
Putting up a sign in West Virginia
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.
Common questions
How many sign shops are in West Virginia?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 23 sign manufacturing establishments in West Virginia in 2025 (annual average, private employers), ranking West Virginia 46 of 51 states. Together they employed 105 people, about 4.6 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in West Virginia?
Average annual pay across West Virginia's sign shops was $46,514 in 2025, 29% 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, West Virginia, 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.