This Is How Much Money Washington's Economy Makes From The Gun Industry

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. - Seattle:

Gun ownership has been a staple of traditional American life since the inception of the country, and even long before then. Some Americans use guns only to go hunting, for sport, or home protection, but there are many gun enthusiasts who embrace the Second Amendment and load up on as many firearms as they can. Whether it is one gun or 20, selling guns in the United States is a lucrative business.

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.

With these back-to-back years of historic gun sales, someone is profiting big, including some states.

Both directly and indirectly, the firearms sector accounts for a total of 8,166 jobs in Washington – 3,977 in firearm and ammunition manufacturing, sales, and distribution, and another 4,189 in supplier and ancillary industries – the 18th most among the 50 states.

The gun industry in Washington paid an average wage of $57,773 in 2021 and generated an estimated $111.7 million in federal business tax revenue that year.

When accounting for wages and taxes as well as indirect contributions, the firearms industry contributed to $1.4 billion in output in Washington in 2021, the 19th highest amount among states.

All data in this story is from the Shooting Sports Foundation’s Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact report.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.