The US economy is colossal. In fact, it represents more than 20% (1/5th) of the entire global economy. So, with corporate profits generally on the up, what industries are the biggest profit-makers? And which are making a loss?

For the nation as a whole, profit margins generally sit at about 9% (8.89% to be precise), however, in transport, specifically railroads, this stands at 50.93%, the highest in the US.

Recent research from Comparisun has now revealed the profit margins for almost a hundred industries, exposing those who have the highest and lowest profit margins:

The USA’s Most Profitable Industries (and average profit margin)

  • Transportation (Railroads), 50.93%
  • Real Estate (General/Diversified), 41.23%
  • Tobacco, 31.42%
  • Banks (Regional), 28.99%
  • Cable TV, 25.44%
  • Investments & Asset Management, 24.52%
  • R.E.I.T, 24.44%
  • Beverages (Alcoholic), 21.47%
  • Semiconductor, 21.47%
  • Bank (Money Center), 21.46%

The USA’s Least Profitable Industries (and average profit margin)

  • Precious Metals, -5.90%
  • Electronics (Consumer & Office), -4.07%
  • Drugs (Biotechnology), -1.61%
  • Insurance (General), -1.61%
  • Publishing & Newspapers, -1.00%
  • Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities, 0.78%
  • Auto & Truck, 1.82%
  • Software (Internet), 1.88%
  • Retail (General), 1.90%
  • Food Wholesalers, 2.05%