Based on the expert analysis and our database of 1,300+ US industries, IBISWorld presents a list of the Most Profitable Industries in the US in 2021
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View a list of the Top 25 most profitable industriesTotal Profit for 2021: $115.8B
Operators in the Software Publishing industry design, develop and publish software. Industry revenue expanded rapidly over the five years to 2021, as businesses and consumers increased their investment in software, computers, smartphones and video games. Rising private investment in computers and software stimulated demand from businesses, while higher consumer spending encouraged consumers to spend on software as well. Moreover, new internet-based solutions and the increasing popularity of mobile devices have triggered an explosion of mobile software applications. Industry revenue is estimated to rise at an annualized rate of 7.8% to $396.7 billion over the five years to 2021. In 2020,... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $86.4B
The Trusts and Estates industry is composed of trusts, estates and agency accounts administered on behalf of beneficiaries under the terms established in a fiduciary contract. Industry revenue, composed primarily of capital gains on trusted assets and ordinary dividends, exhibited an increase over the five years to 2021. The industry benefited from substantial yields in equity markets in addition to appreciation in house prices, leading up to the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). Overall, revenue is expected to increase at an annualized rate of 2.9% to $174.6 billion over the five years to 2021. Revenue is expected to increase 11.5% in... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $64.4B
The Colleges and Universities industry includes public and private nonprofit colleges and universities that offer academic courses and grant baccalaureate or graduate degrees. For most of the past five years, strengthened job markets and better employment prospects hindered industry demand, causing high school graduates to enter the workforce and forgo postsecondary education. However, this trend has reversed since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) struck, bolstering industry demand. Moreover, growth in government funding and private donations have further supported the industry revenue during the same period. Overall, industry revenue is estimated to grow at an annualized rate of 4.8% to $580.7 billion over... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $59.7B
Over the five years to 2021, the economic output of the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry has contracted primarily due to the effects of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in 2020. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) are companies that invest in both commercial and residential income-generating real estate and distribute at least 90.0% of their taxable income to shareholders. The industry has shrunk as a result of missed rent payments among commercial property tenants in 2020, which has snowballed into a problem for commercial property REITs. However, prior to 2021, the industry expanded as a result of rising property values and... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $55.5B
The Open-End Investment Funds industry has increased over the five years to 2021, due to growth in financial markets. The industry offers financial products such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and money market funds to investors in financial markets, generating revenue through individual funds' expense ratios or fees charged to investors for the management of their money within the funds. Over the five years to 2021, industry revenue is anticipated to increase at an annualized rate of 2.1% to $156.4 billion. Industry revenue has declined despite overall asset growth, as operators have been forced to lower fees to meet... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $47.0B
Operators in the Operating Systems and Productivity Software Publishing industry develop and publish operating systems and productivity software products that are necessary for computer usability. Industry software often comes preinstalled on new computers and similar devices, so industry revenue correlates with new device sales. As technology has become more intertwined with daily life over the five years to 2021, industry demand has grown. Total revenue expanded as sales to both consumers and businesses increased during the period, driven by higher disposable income levels and extensive private investment in computers and software. Altogether, industry revenue increased at an annualized rate of... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $37.0B
Revenue for the Electric Power Transmission industry is expected to decline over the five years to 2021 due to declining per capita energy consumption and weak price growth. Prior to the period, the federal government and state public utility commissions (PUCs) provided rate increases to industry operators, partly mitigating revenue lost from lower consumption. However, electricity sales volumes have declined over the past five years, while the price of electric power has exhibited marginal gains. Price growth has not been able to keep up with inflation, while rising energy efficiency has trimmed overall power use. As a result, IBISWorld expects... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $32.4B
The Real Estate Sales and Brokerage industry in the United States comprises brokers and agents that sell, buy or rent real estate for others. The industry is closely aligned with the health of the residential and commercial real estate markets in the United States. Industry revenue is directly correlated with property prices and real estate transaction volumes, and agents are typically paid completely on a commission basis, receiving a fee only when they close a deal. Additionally, the residential market accounts for more than two-thirds of industry revenue, making the industry sensitive to fluctuations in housing prices and existing home... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $26.0B
The Business Analytics and Enterprise Software Publishing industry has expanded on the back of positive demand conditions over most of the five years to 2021, caused by high private investment in computers and software. Industry revenue has grown at an annualized rate of 13.5% to $115.2 billion over the five years to 2021, driven by the increasing technological complexity of businesses and an eagerness to adopt efficiency-enhancing software. Many industry products, such as customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, have become basic tools in the corporate operations and management. Despite the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, revenue growth... Learn More
Total Profit for 2021: $22.9B
The Natural Gas Distribution industry has performed erratically over the five years to 2021. Revenue declined significantly during the onset of current period, in line with the bust of the shale gas boom, which caused output prices and industry revenue to tumble. As a result of volatile pricing conditions, particularly in 2020 amid the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus), weak demand caused industry revenue to dip. However, limited supply in 2021 is expected to cause prices to spike sharply, despite an overall decline in consumption by sector expected in 2021, uplifting industry revenue an expected 11.4% in 2021 alone as natural... Learn More
Based on the expert analysis and our database of 1,300+ US industries, IBISWorld presents a list of the Fastest Growing Industries in the US by Revenue Growth (%) in 2021
VIEW ARTICLEBased on the expert analysis and our database of 1,300+ US industries, IBISWorld presents a list of the Biggest Industries by Revenue. in the US in 2021
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