By Dr. Tamara Patzer
Black-owned employer businesses have passed 200,000 for the first time, and the people running them are building payrolls, contracts and local economies one hire at a time. For owners and operations professionals who want extra income without giving up their own company, a set of advertised hourly roles in procurement, human resources and business operations offers one more option to examine.
Key Takeaways
- The Brookings Institution’s Center for Community Uplift reported in its 2026 update to the Black Business Parity Dashboard that the number of Black-owned employer businesses grew 62% from 2017 to 2023, surpassing 200,000 firms.
- Brookings said Black Americans were 3.4% of employer business owners in 2023 while making up 14.4% of the population.
- As reported by Black Enterprise and blac.media citing Census Bureau data, those firms generated $249 billion in revenue, employed more than 1.8 million people and paid nearly $70 billion in salaries.
- The Expert Opportunity Report, in an article dated November 11, 2026, lists three business roles advertised at $45 to $90 an hour. Pay varies and changes, and nothing is guaranteed.
The Numbers Behind the Milestone
Each year, the Brookings Institution’s Center for Community Uplift analyzes changes in Black-owned employer businesses, meaning firms with at least one paid employee, in metro areas across the country. In its latest update to the Black Business Parity Dashboard, Brookings reported that from the first year of data in 2017 to the latest year, 2023, the number of Black-owned employer businesses grew by 62%, finally passing 200,000 firms.
The Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey supplies the underlying figures. Under the survey’s definition, a business counts as Black-owned when Black owners hold at least 51% of its stock or equity. A Census Bureau graphic titled Measuring Black Enterprise lists 200.9 thousand employer firms, 1.9 million employees and $69.8 billion in annual payroll.
Blac.media, in a feature on where Black-owned businesses are growing, reported that these companies generated $249 billion in revenue, employed more than 1.8 million people and paid nearly $70 billion in salaries.
A Gap That Brookings Says Is Still Wide
The growth sits beside a persistent gap. According to Brookings, Black Americans represented 3.4% of employer business owners in 2023 while making up 14.4% of the population. The Black Business Parity Dashboard models what local economies could look like if Black-owned employer businesses matched the Black share of the population in each metro area.
Black Enterprise, covering the Brookings report, headlined its story with the finding that closing the ownership gap could create 6.3 million jobs and $824 billion in revenue. Those are modeled estimates, not forecasts, and they depend on the assumption of parity in every metro area.
The growth is also showing up in local reporting. Black Enterprise reported that the Cincinnati metro area recorded a 125% increase in Black-owned employer businesses between 2017 and 2023, with Black entrepreneurs owning 3.5% of all employer businesses there, drawing on Brookings data.
Why Cash Flow Still Shapes Decisions
A growing count of firms does not mean every owner has steady revenue. Many founders keep a second income stream while a young company builds its customer base, and many operations professionals consider part-time project work alongside a full-time job. That is a common choice among small business owners generally, and this article makes no claim about how often Black business owners do it.
Three Business Roles Advertised at $45 to $90 an Hour
The Expert Opportunity Report, a publication that tracks expert-level AI contract listings, reviewed these roles in an article by Tamara Patzer dated November 11, 2026, with listings checked on October 31, 2026. The article, procurement, human resources and business operations opportunities, describes three listings, all advertised at $45 to $90 an hour and all posted on October 24, 2026.
The first is a Procurement and Vendor Management Expert. According to the article, the skills named include turning procurement work into a defined task, objective grading criteria, supplier evaluation and selection, and vendor problems after signing.
The second is an HR and People Operations Expert. The skills named include payroll and lifecycle operations, objective grading criteria, turning HR work into a defined task, policy application in edge cases and working across documents.
The third is a Business Operations Expert. Its named skills are turning operations work into a defined task, objective grading criteria, business operations, process design and ownership, and operational reporting and data discrepancies.
In plain terms, companies that build AI systems pay experienced professionals to write tasks, set grading standards and check how well a model handles real business problems. The experience an owner gains from hiring vendors, setting policies or fixing broken processes is the kind of knowledge those tasks draw on.
What the Listings Do Not Say
The article does not state a work location for any listing and tells readers to check the permitted work location in each full description. It mentions no license requirement and does not state required experience. Payment terms beyond the advertised hourly range are not given, so readers should check each full posting for those, and for current availability.
The Expert Opportunity Report states that advertised ranges do not guarantee selection, a particular rate or any amount of work. Hourly pay on listings like these varies and changes with the project, so a range of $45 to $90 should be read as an advertised span, not an expected paycheck.
The article also discloses that its author may be paid if readers apply through the links on the page, which carry referral codes, and that the author is not an employee or representative of the companies posting the roles. Readers should weigh that as they would any sponsored link.
What to Check Before You Apply
Business owners considering outside contract work usually start with a few practical questions. How many hours can the company spare? Does a client contract, a lease or a partnership agreement limit outside work? How will contract income be reported? A tax professional or attorney can answer the last two for a specific situation, and the Internal Revenue Service publishes guidance for self-employed workers at irs.gov.
Readers can also browse by field at the Expert Opportunity Report, which publishes current listings and notes when each was checked.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Black-Owned Employer Businesses Are There?
Brookings reported that the number grew 62% from 2017 to 2023 and passed 200,000 firms, using Census Bureau Annual Business Survey data.
What Share of Employer Businesses Are Black-Owned?
According to Brookings, Black Americans were 3.4% of employer business owners in 2023, while making up 14.4% of the population.
How Much Revenue Do These Firms Generate?
Blac.media, citing Census data, reported $249 billion in revenue, more than 1.8 million jobs and nearly $70 billion in salaries.
What Do the Business Expert Listings Pay?
The Expert Opportunity Report article dated November 11, 2026 lists $45 to $90 an hour for three roles. Pay varies and changes, and applying does not guarantee work.
Do the Listings Require a License or a Set Amount of Experience?
The article mentions no license and does not state required experience. Readers should check each full posting.
About the Author
Dr. Tamara Patzer is a publisher and former newspaper editor who writes about AI and business data.
You may reach her through: info@dailysuccessinstitute.com
Sources
Brookings Institution, Center for Community Uplift, “The shifting landscape for Black-owned businesses: An update to the Black Business Parity Dashboard,” 2026.
Brookings, “Black employers are reaching new heights.”
U.S. Census Bureau, Measuring Black Enterprise, 2026.
blac.media, “Where Black-owned businesses are growing.”
Black Enterprise, “Brookings: Closing the Black business ownership gap could create 6.3M jobs and $824B in revenue” and its Cincinnati report.
Under30CEO analysis of federal business data.
Expert Opportunity Report, “Procurement, human resources and business operations opportunities,” by Tamara Patzer, November 11, 2026.
Disclaimer: The author publishes the Expert Opportunity Report and is a referral partner of micro1. This article is information, not a promise of work or income, and not legal, tax or financial advice. Advertised pay ranges vary and change.
