§1The market
New Jersey had 60 private establishments in NAICS 321920, wood container and pallet manufacturing, in the 2025 annual average, 1.9% of the U.S. total of 3,143. That ranks 20th of the 50 states with QCEW data for the industry.
That is up 39.5% from 43 in 2020, against +5.8% nationally.
Employment averaged 1,132 in 2025 (+19.4% since 2020), at an average annual pay of $53,999, 0.6% below the industry's national average.
For raw material, New Jersey had 9 sawmill establishments (NAICS 321113) in 2025, employing 69 in 2020. Pallet plants outnumber sawmills in the state.
Pallet plants were recorded in 17 counties in 2025.
Freight context: retail diesel in the Central Atlantic (PADD 1B) region averaged $6.490 a gallon in October 2026, +67.2% on a year earlier (EIA).
§2New Jersey by year
| Year | Plants | Employment | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 43 | 948 | $47,254 |
| 2021 | 49 | 985 | $51,475 |
| 2022 | 51 | 899 | $55,953 |
| 2023 | 51 | 837 | $58,288 |
| 2024 | 55 | 903 | $55,661 |
| 2025 | 60 | 1,132 | $53,999 |
Sawmills (NAICS 321113) in New Jersey: 2020 7, 2021 8, 2022 9, 2023 8, 2024 8, 2025 9.
§3What it means for buyers
With 60 plants, New Jersey supports a competitive RFQ inside the state: invite suppliers close to each delivery point, since freight is a large share of delivered price.
Supply clusters in Vineland, NJ; see the metro pages below.
States with a similar number of plants: Virginia (60), Oregon (61), Arkansas (48), Minnesota (62).
Ask each bidder which plant will ship to you, and price delivery as its own line in the bid-leveling sheet.
§4Metro areas
| Metro area | Plants | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Vineland, NJ | 5 | 121 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 61 | 810 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 34 | 664 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 7 | 469 |
§5Neighbouring states
| State | Plants | Average pay (latest disclosed) |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 189 | $53,952 |
| New York | 95 | $58,674 |
| Delaware | 4 | $53,591 |