71/Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
2.49M
employees, 2023
2.49M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 166,356 US Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation business locations employed 2.49 million people and paid $119.0 billion in annual payroll, $47,770 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
166,356
+2.1% vs 2022
Employees
2,491,408
+7.5% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$119.0B
+8.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$47,770
+0.6% 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 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 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 | 33,856 | 355,465 | $65,218 | 2.17% |
| Florida | 11,208 | 240,581 | $43,226 | 2.41% |
| Texas | 9,823 | 172,135 | $41,439 | 1.43% |
| New York | 14,122 | 166,968 | $67,761 | 1.90% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,291 | 95,456 | $49,202 | 1.67% |
| Illinois | 5,759 | 88,043 | $48,436 | 1.56% |
| Ohio | 4,195 | 82,294 | $48,057 | 1.62% |
| North Carolina | 4,517 | 71,277 | $40,571 | 1.67% |
| New Jersey | 4,113 | 68,435 | $49,038 | 1.73% |
| Washington | 3,451 | 63,910 | $45,370 | 2.09% |
| Massachusetts | 3,672 | 62,264 | $58,494 | 1.79% |
| Georgia | 4,354 | 62,177 | $44,010 | 1.41% |
| Virginia | 3,465 | 60,754 | $33,198 | 1.70% |
| Colorado | 3,642 | 60,689 | $47,449 | 2.37% |
| Arizona | 2,643 | 57,147 | $45,688 | 1.98% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 13,600 | 175,748 | $69,716 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 23,171 | 162,003 | $89,914 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,575 | 81,227 | $33,487 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,207 | 72,193 | $53,820 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 3,912 | 55,885 | $59,505 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,881 | 54,801 | $51,073 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,800 | 54,052 | $53,797 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,720 | 49,484 | $64,102 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,509 | 46,757 | $51,191 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,574 | 44,652 | $58,525 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3,032 | 44,327 | $43,695 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,828 | 44,249 | $51,005 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,076 | 43,324 | $47,797 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,914 | 42,031 | $53,065 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,008 | 38,788 | $51,773 |
Business size
US Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 100,956 | 60.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 22,127 | 13.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 18,597 | 11.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 14,799 | 8.9% |
| 50 to 99 | 5,805 | 3.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 2,939 | 1.8% |
| 250 to 499 | 793 | 0.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 224 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 116 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation and the 3 industries directly below it
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 713 | Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | 1,794,693 | $28,539 |
| 711 | Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | 542,145 | $112,036 |
| 712 | Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | 154,570 | $45,647 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation in the US?
2.49 million people worked at 166,356 US Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation business locations in 2023, up 7.5% from 2022. That is 1.78% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation?
$47,770 a year per employee in 2023, from $119.0 billion in annual payroll (up 0.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation jobs?
California had the most, with 355,465 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (240,581) and Texas (172,135).
Which metro areas have the most Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (175,748), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (162,003), Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL (81,227) had the most Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation employees in 2023.
Are most Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation businesses small?
85.2% of the 166,356 Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 340 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.