The National Cryptocurrency Association published a report showing the U.S. crypto industry directly employs 34,000 people and supports 232,000 jobs in total when supplier industries and worker spending are counted. The industry contributes more than $55 billion to U.S. gross domestic product in 2026, with roughly $31 billion flowing to workers as income, according to the NCA report conducted by Pragmatic Policy Group. The findings position crypto employment above coffee and tea manufacturing at 28,400, cement manufacturing at 15,300, and tobacco manufacturing at 10,600, drawing on Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, as the industry establishes itself as a measurable contributor to the U.S. economy.
Total Employment Breakdown Includes Supplier and Household Spending Effects
The 232,000 total supported jobs include 34,000 direct crypto industry roles, 75,000 jobs in supplier industries, and 123,000 jobs generated by household spending from workers across both groups, according to the report. Pragmatic Policy Group arrived at the multiplier through a standard input-output model, with the firm stating in the report's appendix that the figures reflect standard multiplier effects and do not represent direct employment by crypto companies. Office and administrative support is the largest single category across all supported jobs at 29,260, followed by business and financial operations at 21,650 and management at 20,890, with transportation and material moving accounting for 18,560 and food preparation and serving 16,910. Within the 34,000 direct roles, software, blockchain and data engineering is the largest group at 10,100, followed by compliance, finance and business operations at 5,450 and executives and managers at 5,100.
Average Wage Across Supported Jobs Reaches $133,000
The report puts the average annual wage across the 232,000 supported jobs at $133,000, against a $64,000 national median, with Pragmatic Policy Group marking in a footnote that the figure covers all supported roles rather than crypto employees specifically. The occupational tables place janitorial, food service and delivery roles inside the same total used to calculate the average wage figure.
California and New York Account for Nearly Half of Supported Jobs
California accounts for 57,649 supported jobs and New York 53,766, together representing close to half the national figure, according to the report. Texas follows at 26,536, Washington at 15,097 and North Carolina at 9,524. The 12 states Pragmatic Policy Group defines as the Heartland account for more than 17,000 jobs combined, less than a third of California's total, with Alaska sitting at the bottom of the state table with 86 supported jobs. Colorado supports 5,797 jobs and $1.3 billion in economic contribution, with the report pointing to Denver hosting 131 blockchain firms backed by $571 million in investment as of 2025 and to the state accepting crypto for tax payments. North Dakota supports 813 jobs and $154 million, with the report citing Atlas Power's proposed 700MW facility and the Bank of North Dakota's planned USD-backed Roughrider Coin with Fiserv.
PPG Used BEA 2024 Input-Output Tables for Employment Estimates
Pragmatic Policy Group built the estimate on the Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2024 input-output tables, using a U.S. crypto industry revenue figure of $23.22 billion sourced from Statista as the initial input. Crypto is not classified as a standalone industry in the BEA framework, so PPG mapped firms to existing sectors including securities and commodity contracts, credit intermediation, and data processing and internet publishing, with financial-related crypto revenue allocated 97% to securities and commodity contracts and 3% to data processing. The occupational allocation is a modeling assumption rather than an observed workforce profile, with PPG mapping crypto activity to the occupational mix of technology-oriented sectors instead of financial ones and stating in the appendix that a dedicated crypto workforce profile does not yet exist. The model assumes production relationships and industry structure hold at 2024 levels.
NCA Commissioned Report Through Pragmatic Policy Group
Stu Alderoty, president of the NCA and Ripple's CLO, said the industry has become an economic driver, with a real, positive impact on American jobs, wages, and economic growth. Oliver Browne, PPG's chief economist, led the study, stating that each direct crypto job generates around six additional roles across the broader economy and the industry is establishing itself as a measurable contributor with room to grow as adoption increases. The NCA launched in 2025 as a 501(c)(4) focused on crypto education, with the report stating that while the association funded the research, the findings are based on PPG's independent analysis.
FAQ
How many jobs does the U.S. crypto industry directly employ according to the NCA report?
The U.S. crypto industry directly employs 34,000 people, with the total rising to 232,000 supported jobs when supplier industries and household spending by workers are counted, according to the National Cryptocurrency Association report conducted by Pragmatic Policy Group.
What is the average wage across crypto-supported jobs in the U.S.?
The average annual wage across the 232,000 supported jobs is $133,000, compared to a $64,000 national median, with Pragmatic Policy Group noting in the report that this figure covers all supported roles including supplier and household spending effects rather than crypto employees specifically.
Which U.S. states have the most crypto-supported jobs?
California accounts for 57,649 supported jobs and New York 53,766, together representing close to half the national total, followed by Texas at 26,536, Washington at 15,097, and North Carolina at 9,524, according to the NCA report.
