Benchmarking guides · PlainBizBench
Benchmarking Guides
Plain-language guides to reading and applying industry financial benchmarks, profit margins, payroll, employment, NAICS codes, and entity types, built on IRS SOI and Census data.
- 7
- Guides
- 2023
- Data vintage
Sourced from IRS Statistics of Income and US Census Bureau business statistics; see our methodology. No jargon.
How to Benchmark Your Business Against Industry Averages
A practical guide to using IRS and Census data to compare your financials against industry peers, and what to do if you're below average.
Understanding Profit Margins by Industry (IRS SOI 2023)
What do profit margins actually mean? How does your industry compare? A clear explanation of IRS Statistics of Income margin data.
Small Business Financial Benchmarks: What Good Looks Like
Revenue benchmarks, profit margin targets, and payroll benchmarks for small businesses, what the IRS data reveals about healthy financials.
Industry Employment Trends (Census 2023)
Which industries are growing, which are contracting, and what the latest Census Bureau County Business Patterns data reveals about US employment.
Understanding Payroll Benchmarks
How to read Census Bureau payroll per employee data, what it includes and excludes, and how to benchmark your business compensation.
Business Entity Types: What IRS Data Shows
How C Corp, S Corp, partnership, and sole proprietorship structures affect financial benchmarks and why entity type matters for comparison.
NAICS Codes: Your Industry Classification Guide
What NAICS codes are, how to find the right one for your business, and why it is the key to accurate industry benchmarking.
Methodology
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.