§1The market
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area had 116 private wood container and pallet manufacturing establishments (NAICS 321920) in the 2024 QCEW annual average, 32% of California's 362. Among the 128 metro areas with at least five such plants, it ranks 1st by count.
That is up from 108 in 2020 (+7.4%).
BLS disclosed employment of 1,405 for 2024, with average annual pay of $51,682, against $53,735 statewide and $53,506 nationally.
1 sawmill establishments (NAICS 321113) were also counted in the metro in 2024.
Diesel in the California region averaged $8.143 a gallon in October 2026 (EIA), the freight context for deliveries here.
§2By year
| Year | Plants | Employment | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 108 | 1,687 | $44,709 |
| 2021 | 111 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| 2022 | 114 | 1,790 | $52,882 |
| 2023 | 119 | 1,409 | $52,872 |
| 2024 | 116 | 1,405 | $51,682 |
BLS had not published 2025 metro-area figures when this page was built; state pages carry 2025.
§3Buying here
With 116 plants, the Los Angeles, CA area can usually support a local RFQ with several bidders inside a short delivery radius. An establishment is a location, not a company, so two plants may belong to one supplier.
Other metro areas in California: Riverside, CA (90), San Diego, CA (19), Sacramento, CA (17), Fresno, CA (16), Modesto, CA (12), San Jose, CA (11), Stockton, CA (11), San Francisco, CA (10), Napa, CA (9), Santa Rosa, CA (8), Bakersfield, CA (7), Visalia, CA (7), Oxnard, CA (5).