The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that Americans bought roughly 18.5 million firearms in 2021, the second most ever in a year and down only slightly from the record-high 21 million in 2020.
Both directly and indirectly, the firearms sector accounts for a total of 3,615 jobs in Louisiana – 1,739 in firearm and ammunition manufacturing, sales, and distribution, and another 1,876 in supplier and ancillary industries – the 17th fewest among the 50 states.
The gun industry in Louisiana paid an average wage of $44,826 in 2021 and generated an estimated $28.7 million in federal business tax revenue that year.
When accounting for wages and taxes as well as indirect contributions, the firearms industry contributed to $617.4 million in output in Louisiana in 2021, the 16th lowest amount among states.
All data in this story is from the Shooting Sports Foundation’s Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact report.
Rank | State | Total gun industry output, direct & indirect; 2021 ($B) | Total industry employment, direct & indirect; 2021 | Average industry wage ($) | Industry fed. business tax generation; 2021 ($M) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Texas | 5.59 | 31,632 | 51,652 | 330.7 |
2 | California | 5.22 | 29,082 | 66,095 | 380.7 |
3 | Florida | 3.46 | 22,332 | 49,847 | 259.7 |
4 | Illinois | 2.86 | 13,051 | 63,913 | 183.9 |
5 | Massachusetts | 2.85 | 10,151 | 74,899 | 192.6 |
6 | Minnesota | 2.78 | 11,680 | 69,400 | 211.0 |
7 | New Hampshire | 2.72 | 9,950 | 70,698 | 203.3 |
8 | Pennsylvania | 2.67 | 18,891 | 52,165 | 193.6 |
9 | New York | 2.54 | 10,150 | 85,432 | 155.8 |
10 | Arkansas | 2.53 | 10,426 | 49,263 | 127.1 |
11 | North Carolina | 2.51 | 13,017 | 54,571 | 160.3 |
12 | Ohio | 2.37 | 15,256 | 50,652 | 147.1 |
13 | Arizona | 2.33 | 11,933 | 61,243 | 180.2 |
14 | Michigan | 1.88 | 11,759 | 52,206 | 123.6 |
15 | Oregon | 1.78 | 8,952 | 59,541 | 134.5 |
16 | Georgia | 1.78 | 9,045 | 52,865 | 99.4 |
17 | Idaho | 1.69 | 6,999 | 57,426 | 100.4 |
18 | Connecticut | 1.44 | 5,264 | 81,440 | 108.0 |
19 | Washington | 1.39 | 8,166 | 57,773 | 111.7 |
20 | Utah | 1.33 | 8,893 | 46,616 | 92.4 |
21 | Virginia | 1.29 | 7,424 | 49,889 | 81.9 |
22 | Missouri | 1.25 | 7,899 | 50,351 | 80.0 |
23 | Wisconsin | 1.24 | 6,661 | 52,251 | 67.9 |
24 | South Carolina | 1.24 | 6,789 | 47,957 | 70.7 |
25 | Tennessee | 1.13 | 7,097 | 55,935 | 73.7 |
26 | New Jersey | 1.05 | 5,174 | 74,016 | 77.1 |
27 | Colorado | 1.02 | 6,712 | 53,436 | 77.5 |
28 | Indiana | 0.94 | 5,021 | 52,373 | 37.8 |
29 | Mississippi | 0.93 | 4,737 | 50,035 | 50.8 |
30 | Maryland | 0.89 | 4,286 | 66,649 | 62.4 |
31 | Kentucky | 0.85 | 5,101 | 49,287 | 47.3 |
32 | Alabama | 0.74 | 5,247 | 43,616 | 41.6 |
33 | Wyoming | 0.69 | 3,672 | 45,749 | 39.0 |
34 | Nebraska | 0.66 | 3,325 | 54,016 | 38.2 |
35 | Louisiana | 0.62 | 3,615 | 44,826 | 28.7 |
36 | Kansas | 0.58 | 2,133 | 71,945 | 12.8 |
37 | Nevada | 0.52 | 3,201 | 49,582 | 37.3 |
38 | Iowa | 0.48 | 2,779 | 49,903 | 22.3 |
39 | Maine | 0.42 | 3,523 | 42,660 | 29.5 |
40 | Oklahoma | 0.41 | 2,702 | 44,441 | 20.5 |
41 | South Dakota | 0.37 | 1,842 | 52,224 | 20.8 |
42 | Montana | 0.37 | 2,454 | 43,924 | 20.9 |
43 | West Virginia | 0.22 | 1,702 | 38,365 | 11.0 |
44 | Rhode Island | 0.18 | 826 | 62,397 | 9.0 |
45 | New Mexico | 0.16 | 1,442 | 37,847 | 8.7 |
46 | Vermont | 0.14 | 828 | 54,215 | 9.7 |
47 | Alaska | 0.12 | 1,029 | 47,151 | 6.1 |
48 | North Dakota | 0.08 | 652 | 45,653 | 4.5 |
49 | Hawaii | 0.07 | 578 | 49,461 | 5.0 |
50 | Delaware | 0.07 | 503 | 53,593 | 2.9 |