711510/Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
65K
employees, 2023
65K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 38,677 US Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers business locations employed 64,940 people and paid $10.3 billion in annual payroll, $158,290 per employee on average. Employment was up 4.8% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
38,677
+1.6% vs 2022
Employees
64,940
+4.8% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$10.3B
-10.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$158,290
-14.6% 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 Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 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 | 18,435 | 25,340 | $260,901 | 0.15% |
| New York | 4,543 | 7,439 | $186,808 | 0.08% |
| Florida | 2,088 | 3,204 | $75,137 | 0.03% |
| Texas | 1,240 | 2,751 | $78,072 | 0.02% |
| Illinois | 708 | 1,509 | $70,448 | 0.03% |
| Pennsylvania | 539 | 1,385 | $56,044 | 0.02% |
| Tennessee | 483 | 1,323 | $138,200 | 0.04% |
| Georgia | 927 | 1,288* | $83,384 | 0.03% |
| Nevada | 596 | 1,282 | $136,193 | 0.10% |
| Colorado | 715 | 1,233 | $64,371 | 0.05% |
| New Jersey | 576 | 1,205 | $87,544 | 0.03% |
| Minnesota | 361 | 1,203 | $36,205 | 0.04% |
| North Carolina | 567 | 1,100 | $49,419 | 0.03% |
| Washington | 508 | 1,029 | $63,431 | 0.03% |
| Massachusetts | 337 | 879 | $71,190 | 0.03% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 16,481 | 21,042 | $294,827 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 4,571 | 7,058 | $201,833 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 517 | 1,606 | $122,423 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 651 | 1,437 | $71,888 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 864 | 1,380 | $83,774 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 506 | 1,104 | $134,999 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 376 | 1,090 | $156,734 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 789 | 1,058* | $91,666 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 299 | 1,002* | $36,031 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 365 | 869 | $65,646 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 376 | 852 | $78,432 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 382 | 792 | $74,294 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 363 | 742 | $67,557 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 350 | 662 | $69,621 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 304 | 638 | $64,246 |
Business size
US Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 36,391 | 94.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,328 | 3.4% |
| 10 to 19 | 594 | 1.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 288 | 0.7% |
| 50 to 99 | 56 | 0.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 14 | 0.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 6 | 0.0% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
The industries this code belongs to
Part of Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 71Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries 711Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 7115Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 71151
Questions and answers
How many people work in Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers in the US?
64,940 people worked at 38,677 US Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers business locations in 2023, up 4.8% from 2022. That is 0.05% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers?
$158,290 a year per employee in 2023, from $10.3 billion in annual payroll (down 14.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers jobs?
California had the most, with 25,340 employees in 2023, followed by New York (7,439) and Florida (3,204).
Which metro areas have the most Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (21,042), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (7,058), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (1,606) had the most Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers employees in 2023.
Are most Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers businesses small?
99.1% of the 38,677 Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 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. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.