Plant-Based Industry Creates 55,000 High-Wage Jobs in the US

The plant-based food industry has created 55,634 high-paying jobs in the United States, according to new data released by trade group Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA). On average, jobs in the plant-based industry paid $59,300—approximately $12,500 more than the average American income. Plant-based food companies pay $1 billion in federal and state taxes and contributed $5.6 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) each year. A recent joint report released by PBFA and advocacy group Good Food Institute valued the plant-based food industry at $4.5 billion with vegan retail sales growing five times faster than all other food sales. “With continued double-digit retail sales growth of plant-based foods, it is not surprising to see the continued job growth in the plant-based food industry,” Michele Simon, executive director of the PBFA, said. “With the outlook for the plant-based foods industry being so strong, these job figures will only increase.” PBFA predicts that at its current growth rate, the plant-based industry will generate $11.7 billion in tax revenues over the next ten years and add 1,900 high-wage jobs to the economy annually.