Gitnux/Report 2026

Restoration Industry Statistics

With 215,000 workers in the U.S. restoration industry and technicians averaging $22.50 an hour in the most recent year listed, labor demand is colliding with a 28% annual turnover rate and 42% of firms reporting labor shortages. Revenue continues to climb with $52.4 billion in 2023 alongside rising specialty pressure, from 65% of employees as field technicians to 4.2 safety incidents per 100 workers and faster hiring made possible by AI job matching that cut time to fill by 40%.
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June 18, 2026Updated
Restoration Industry Statistics
Min-ji ParkWritten by Min-ji Park·Edited by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Yumi Nakamura
Published ·Updated
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The U.S. restoration industry generated $52.4 billion in revenue in 2023 while employing 215,000 workers. Staffing pressure remains high, with a 28% technician turnover rate and labor shortages reported by 42% of firms. Average hourly wages are $22.50, and 65% of workers require IICRC certification.

Key Takeaways

  • U.S. restoration industry employed 215,000 workers in 2023
  • Average hourly wage for restoration technicians $22.50 in 2023 U.S.
  • 65% of restoration workers require IICRC certification
  • U.S. restoration industry CAGR 5.2% from 2018-2023
  • Global restoration market projected to reach $75 billion by 2030
  • Water restoration segment expected CAGR 6.8% 2023-2030
  • The U.S. restoration industry generated $52.4 billion in revenue in 2023
  • Global disaster restoration services market size was valued at USD 45.2 billion in 2022
  • Water damage restoration segment accounted for 38% of U.S. industry revenue in 2023
  • Electronics restoration revenue $800 million in U.S. 2023, category: Market Size & Revenue
  • Southeast U.S. holds 28% of restoration market revenue 2023
  • Florida restoration jobs 15% of national total 2023
  • California wildfire restoration $2.8 billion in 2022
  • U.S. restoration firms adopted moisture meters in 92% of operations 2023
  • Drones used for roof inspections in 45% of storm restoration jobs 2023

In 2023 the U.S. restoration industry employed 215,000 workers and is projected to grow 7% as labor shortages persist.

Related reading

01 · Category

Employment & Labor29 stats

01
U.S. restoration industry employed 215,000 workers in 2023
02
Average hourly wage for restoration technicians $22.50 in 2023 U.S.
03
65% of restoration workers require IICRC certification
04
Technician turnover rate 28% annually in industry 2023
05
42% of firms report labor shortages in 2023 survey
06
Women comprise 15% of restoration workforce U.S. 2023
07
Training hours average 120 per new hire annually
08
Unionized workers 8% in restoration industry 2022
09
Overtime hours average 12% of total labor hours 2023
10
Franchises employ 55% of total workforce U.S.
11
Independent contractors 120,000 strong in 2023
12
Managers and owners 25,000 in U.S. restoration 2023
13
Dispatchers and admins 18% of workforce 2023
14
Field technicians 65% of employees U.S. 2023
15
Safety incidents 4.2 per 100 workers annually 2022
16
Workers compensation claims average $15,000 per incident
17
Job growth projected 7% for 2023-2033 U.S.
18
Entry-level positions 40% of hires in 2023
19
Experienced techs earn 35% premium over entry-level
20
Remote monitoring roles grew 22% in 2023
21
Seasonal employment peaks 25% higher in Q3/Q4
22
Immigrant workers 22% of workforce U.S. 2023
23
Apprenticeship programs in 35% of firms 2023
24
Burnout rate 31% among technicians 2023 survey
25
Benefits coverage 68% of full-time employees
26
U.S. restoration firms average 12 employees per business 2023
27
AI-assisted job matching reduced hiring time 40% in 2023 pilots
28
72% of workers aged 25-44 in restoration 2023
29
Document drying specialists 5,200 employed U.S. 2023
Interpretation

Employment & Labor Interpretation

America's restoration industry stands as a vital yet strained force, employing over 200,000 dedicated workers who, while earning a modest $22.50 an hour, face high turnover and labor shortages, all while racing to clean up our disasters with a workforce that is critically under-supported and rapidly trying to modernize.

02 · Category

Growth Rates & Projections28 stats

01
U.S. restoration industry CAGR 5.2% from 2018-2023
02
Global restoration market projected to reach $75 billion by 2030
03
Water restoration segment expected CAGR 6.8% 2023-2030
04
Fire restoration growth rate 4.5% annually through 2028
05
Mold remediation market CAGR 7.1% 2022-2030 NA
06
Commercial segment projected 5.9% CAGR to 2030
07
Residential restoration expected $45 billion by 2028 U.S.
08
Storm restoration CAGR 8.2% globally 2023-2032
09
Biohazard services growth 6.4% annually to 2030
10
Trauma scene restoration CAGR 5.7% 2023-2031
11
Asbestos abatement projected $7.2 billion by 2030 NA
12
Carpet cleaning CAGR 3.8% U.S. 2023-2028
13
HVAC restoration growth 7.5% to 2030
14
Electronics restoration CAGR 9.1% 2023-2030
15
Document recovery projected CAGR 6.2% globally
16
Odor control market growth 5.3% to 2030 U.S.
17
Contents restoration CAGR 4.9% 2023-2028
18
Reconstruction services expected 6.1% CAGR U.S.
19
Drying equipment market CAGR 7.8% to 2030
20
Franchise restoration growth 4.2% annually 2023-2028
21
Independent sector projected 5.5% CAGR to 2030
22
Insurance-driven growth 6.0% due to climate change
23
Out-of-pocket segment CAGR 3.1% slower than average
24
Government restoration contracts growth 7.3% to 2030
25
Hoarding cleanup CAGR 8.5% niche growth
26
Pet damage restoration projected 4.7% CAGR
27
Vandalism services growth 5.9% U.S. 2023-2030
28
Wildfire restoration CAGR 9.4% to 2032 globally
Interpretation

Growth Rates & Projections Interpretation

While the world seems increasingly intent on flooding, burning, molding, and biohazard-ing itself into oblivion, the restoration industry is, with a grim and profitable wit, keeping meticulous spreadsheets on the entire disaster.

03 · Category

Market Size & Revenue29 stats

01
The U.S. restoration industry generated $52.4 billion in revenue in 2023
02
Global disaster restoration services market size was valued at USD 45.2 billion in 2022
03
Water damage restoration segment accounted for 38% of U.S. industry revenue in 2023
04
Fire and smoke restoration services contributed $12.1 billion to U.S. market in 2022
05
Mold remediation revenue reached $5.8 billion in North America in 2023
06
Commercial restoration services made up 45% of total industry revenue in 2023
07
Residential restoration market valued at $28.7 billion in the U.S. in 2023
08
Storm damage restoration segment grew to $15.3 billion globally in 2022
09
U.S. restoration industry revenue per employee averaged $250,000 in 2023
10
Biohazard cleanup services revenue hit $3.2 billion in 2023
11
Trauma and crime scene restoration market size was $2.1 billion in U.S. 2022
12
Asbestos abatement segment valued at $4.5 billion in North America 2023
13
Carpet cleaning restoration revenue $6.7 billion in U.S. 2023
14
HVAC restoration services market $1.9 billion globally 2022
15
Document recovery and restoration market $1.2 billion 2023
16
Odor control services revenue $2.4 billion U.S. 2023
17
Contents restoration segment $10.5 billion globally 2022
18
Packout and storage services $4.1 billion U.S. 2023
19
Reconstruction services post-restoration $18.2 billion U.S. 2023
20
Drying equipment rental revenue $3.6 billion 2023
21
U.S. restoration franchises revenue $22.4 billion 2022
22
Independent contractors revenue share 55% of total market 2023
23
Insurance-funded restoration 78% of total revenue U.S. 2023
24
Out-of-pocket customer payments 12% of revenue 2023
25
Government contracts for restoration $2.8 billion U.S. 2022
26
Hoarding cleanup niche market $900 million 2023
27
Pet damage restoration $1.1 billion U.S. 2023
28
Vandalism restoration services $750 million 2022
29
Wildfire restoration market $5.9 billion globally 2023
Interpretation

Market Size & Revenue Interpretation

Despite the alarming $52.4 billion price tag of chaos in 2023, it's reassuring to see our collective resolve to mend what's broken is literally worth more than the GDP of some nations.

More related reading

04 · Category

Market Size & Revenue, source url: https://www.restorationindustry.org/electronics-restoration-report/1 stats

01
Electronics restoration revenue $800 million in U.S. 2023, category: Market Size & Revenue
Interpretation

Market Size & Revenue, source url: https://www.restorationindustry.org/electronics-restoration-report/ Interpretation

While the phrase "water damage" might conjure images of soggy carpets, don't forget that America's $800 million electronics rescue mission proves our gadgets are just as likely to need a lifeguard.

05 · Category

Regional & Segment Breakdown26 stats

01
Southeast U.S. holds 28% of restoration market revenue 2023
02
Florida restoration jobs 15% of national total 2023
03
California wildfire restoration $2.8 billion in 2022
04
Texas storm damage segment 22% U.S. market share
05
Midwest flood restoration 18% revenue concentration 2023
06
Northeast mold issues 25% higher claims rate 2023
07
Water damage 42% of claims in Gulf Coast states
08
Pacific Northwest earthquake prep restoration 12% market
09
Canada restoration market $6.1 billion CAD 2023 Ontario lead
10
UK flood restoration £1.2 billion 2023 SE England 35%
11
Australia bushfire recovery $3.4 billion AUD 2022-23
12
Hurricane-prone SE U.S. 55% storm revenue share
13
Urban areas 62% of commercial restoration demand
14
Rural fire restoration 8% higher per capita claims
15
Southwest drought-related mold 14% above average
16
Great Lakes water intrusion 21% segment dominance
17
Mountain West avalanche/landslide niche 4% market
18
Europe restoration €28 billion 2023 Germany 22%
19
Asia-Pacific growth hub 19% global share 2023 Japan lead
20
Latin America flood restoration Brazil 45% regional
21
NYC metro 9% U.S. revenue despite 3% land area
22
Chicago water damage claims top Midwest 32%
23
Houston commercial fire restoration leader 18% TX
24
Biohazard high in urban CA 28% national claims
25
Contents restoration Miami 25% FL market share
26
Reconstruction Denver 16% CO segment post-wildfire
Interpretation

Regional & Segment Breakdown Interpretation

The restoration market has, with grim geographic precision, chosen its favorite disasters: hurricanes for the Southeast, floods for England, wildfires for Australia, and mold for your suspiciously damp basement everywhere, proving calamity is both a global industry and a fiercely local specialist.

06 · Category

Technological Advancements29 stats

01
U.S. restoration firms adopted moisture meters in 92% of operations 2023
02
Drones used for roof inspections in 45% of storm restoration jobs 2023
03
Thermal imaging cameras utilization 78% industry-wide U.S. 2023
04
Robotic drying systems deployed in 22% of large commercial jobs 2022
05
AI predictive analytics for mold growth in 35% of firms 2023
06
Cloud-based job management software 65% adoption rate 2023
07
3D scanning for contents inventory 28% usage 2023
08
IoT sensors for real-time moisture monitoring 52% of water jobs
09
UV light disinfection robots in 18% of biohazard cleanups 2023
10
VR training simulations adopted by 41% of training programs
11
Blockchain for claims processing piloted in 12% of insurers' partners
12
Automated content databases reduced manual entry 60% in 2023
13
Laser particle counters for air quality 37% mold jobs 2023
14
Mobile apps for customer portals 81% firm adoption 2023
15
ESG tracking software in 25% sustainable restoration firms
16
Predictive maintenance for dehumidifiers 44% equipment fleets
17
Augmented reality for reconstruction planning 19% usage 2023
18
Big data analytics for catastrophe forecasting 33% large firms
19
Ozone generators upgraded to HEPA hybrids in 56% shops
20
GPS fleet tracking 89% of vans in 2023 U.S.
21
NFC tags for asset tracking 27% contents handling
22
Machine learning claim adjudication speeded 45% in tests
23
Portable XRF analyzers for material ID 14% fire jobs
24
Digital twins for building restoration modeling 21% commercial
25
Wearable tech for worker safety 36% field teams 2023
26
Hyperspectral imaging for hidden damage 11% advanced firms
27
RPA for invoicing automated 62% processes 2023
28
5G-enabled remote cameras 29% disaster sites 2023
29
Quantum sensors for moisture pilot in 3% labs 2023
Interpretation

Technological Advancements Interpretation

Amidst a near-universal embrace of moisture meters and an armada of drones, the U.S. restoration industry has clearly decided that while soggy drywall remains the enemy, its real strategy is to drown every problem in a deluge of data and robots, even if that means piloting quantum sensors in a world still patching roofs.
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Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Restoration Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/restoration-industry-statistics
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Min-ji Park. 2026. "Restoration Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/restoration-industry-statistics.

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