713/Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.79M
employees, 2023
1.79M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 89,540 US Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries business locations employed 1.79 million people and paid $51.2 billion in annual payroll, $28,539 per employee on average. Employment was up 7.5% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
89,540
+2.4% vs 2022
Employees
1,794,693
+7.5% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$51.2B
+10.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$28,539
+2.6% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 9,174 | 241,989 | $30,600 | 1.48% |
| Florida | 5,950 | 186,974 | $30,680 | 1.87% |
| Texas | 6,526 | 128,095 | $25,113 | 1.07% |
| New York | 5,423 | 83,277 | $35,774 | 0.95% |
| Pennsylvania | 3,452 | 67,056 | $28,039 | 1.17% |
| Illinois | 3,807 | 64,799 | $30,096 | 1.14% |
| Ohio | 2,880 | 57,338 | $25,107 | 1.13% |
| New Jersey | 2,757 | 54,830 | $34,106 | 1.39% |
| North Carolina | 2,935 | 54,497 | $23,413 | 1.27% |
| Washington | 2,204 | 49,367 | $32,634 | 1.62% |
| Virginia | 2,284 | 48,500 | $23,840 | 1.35% |
| Colorado | 2,124 | 48,315 | $30,157 | 1.88% |
| Georgia | 2,446 | 46,633 | $25,984 | 1.06% |
| Arizona | 1,614 | 45,418 | $28,629 | 1.57% |
| Massachusetts | 2,429 | 44,107 | $42,564 | 1.26% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,986 | 97,916 | $30,299 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 5,206 | 95,334 | $37,714 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 711 | 71,680 | $29,336 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,569 | 50,551 | $32,219 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,883 | 41,102 | $27,356 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,726 | 39,583 | $36,620 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,771 | 39,264 | $29,066 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,821 | 35,360 | $44,763 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,109 | 35,014 | $29,129 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,539 | 33,469 | $27,226 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,546 | 32,038 | $26,775 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,184 | 30,240 | $34,479 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,440 | 29,951 | $24,150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,344 | 28,571 | $32,314 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,180 | 25,200 | $25,581 |
Business size
US Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 39,511 | 44.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 15,756 | 17.6% |
| 10 to 19 | 14,719 | 16.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 11,989 | 13.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 4,695 | 5.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 2,213 | 2.5% |
| 250 to 499 | 484 | 0.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 104 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 69 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries and the 3 industries directly below it
Part of Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 71
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7139 | Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | 1,426,535 | $26,185 |
| 7131 | Amusement Parks and Arcades | 233,871 | $29,174 |
| 7132 | Gambling Industries | 134,287 | $52,437 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries in the US?
1.79 million people worked at 89,540 US Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries business locations in 2023, up 7.5% from 2022. That is 1.28% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries?
$28,539 a year per employee in 2023, from $51.2 billion in annual payroll (up 2.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries jobs?
California had the most, with 241,989 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (186,974) and Texas (128,095).
Which metro areas have the most Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (97,916), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (95,334), Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL (71,680) had the most Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries employees in 2023.
Are most Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries businesses small?
78.2% of the 89,540 Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 173 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.