512/Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
333K
employees, 2023
333K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 30,226 US Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries business locations employed 333,045 people and paid $22.1 billion in annual payroll, $66,393 per employee on average. Employment was up 8.0% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
30,226
-0.5% vs 2022
Employees
333,045
+8.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$22.1B
+1.3% vs 2022
Average pay
$66,393
-6.1% 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 Motion Picture and Sound Recording 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 | 10,496 | 145,162 | $91,159 | 0.88% |
| New York | 3,448 | 29,110 | $92,658 | 0.33% |
| Texas | 1,521 | 20,908 | $32,669 | 0.17% |
| Florida | 1,789 | 12,251 | $45,601 | 0.12% |
| Georgia | 968 | 9,492 | $40,435 | 0.22% |
| Illinois | 877 | 8,619 | $48,114 | 0.15% |
| Tennessee | 631 | 7,281 | $73,591 | 0.25% |
| North Carolina | 594 | 5,606 | $51,267 | 0.13% |
| Pennsylvania | 566 | 5,273 | $41,053 | 0.09% |
| Arizona | 382 | 5,085 | $25,087 | 0.18% |
| New Jersey | 542 | 5,075 | $41,738 | 0.13% |
| Washington | 577 | 4,954 | $45,892 | 0.16% |
| Ohio | 436 | 4,835 | $26,473 | 0.10% |
| Michigan | 493 | 4,833 | $26,287 | 0.12% |
| Virginia | 407 | 4,710 | $38,761 | 0.13% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 8,672 | 125,824 | $93,264 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,437 | 28,237 | $95,147 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 818 | 7,952 | $43,949 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 773 | 7,156 | $54,372 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 574 | 6,969 | $122,713 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 515 | 6,020 | $33,087 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 804 | 4,855 | $57,165 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 447 | 4,573 | $98,103 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 364 | 4,561 | $53,304 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 459 | 4,077 | $62,412 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 285 | 3,894 | $25,316 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 277 | 3,708 | $27,934 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 349 | 3,649 | $54,371 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 348 | 3,419 | $45,897 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 343 | 3,196 | $53,548 |
Business size
US Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 22,816 | 75.5% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,416 | 8.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,800 | 6.0% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,937 | 6.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 878 | 2.9% |
| 100 to 249 | 282 | 0.9% |
| 250 to 499 | 62 | 0.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 18 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 17 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Information 51
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5121 | Motion Picture and Video Industries | 307,031 | $61,214 |
| 5122 | Sound Recording Industries | 26,014 | $127,509 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries in the US?
333,045 people worked at 30,226 US Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries business locations in 2023, up 8.0% from 2022. That is 0.24% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries?
$66,393 a year per employee in 2023, from $22.1 billion in annual payroll (down 6.1% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries jobs?
California had the most, with 145,162 employees in 2023, followed by New York (29,110) and Texas (20,908).
Which metro areas have the most Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (125,824), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (28,237), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (7,952) had the most Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries employees in 2023.
Are most Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries businesses small?
89.4% of the 30,226 Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 35 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.