51213/Motion Picture and Video Exhibition
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
122K
employees, 2023
122K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 4,347 US Motion Picture and Video Exhibition business locations employed 122,339 people and paid $2.3 billion in annual payroll, $18,760 per employee on average. Employment was up 11.1% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
4,347
-1.0% vs 2022
Employees
122,339
+11.1% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$2.3B
+14.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$18,760
+3.1% 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 Video Exhibition 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 362 | 16,858 | $21,230 | 0.14% |
| California | 536 | 14,971 | $26,909 | 0.09% |
| Florida | 212 | 7,328 | $19,319 | 0.07% |
| New York | 240 | 5,451 | $20,438 | 0.06% |
| Illinois | 156 | 4,912 | $17,071 | 0.09% |
| Arizona | 86 | 4,104 | $19,000 | 0.14% |
| Michigan | 137 | 3,664 | $14,100 | 0.09% |
| Georgia | 117 | 3,612 | $15,325 | 0.08% |
| Ohio | 147 | 3,598 | $14,938 | 0.07% |
| Pennsylvania | 149 | 3,319 | $16,571 | 0.06% |
| Virginia | 99 | 3,177 | $18,862 | 0.09% |
| North Carolina | 116 | 2,846 | $15,337 | 0.07% |
| Washington | 129 | 2,826 | $21,621 | 0.09% |
| Colorado | 93 | 2,769 | $18,670 | 0.11% |
| New Jersey | 71 | 2,729 | $16,791 | 0.07% |
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 Video Exhibition employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 169 | 5,707 | $19,929 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 210 | 4,853 | $31,230 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 96 | 4,445 | $18,186 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 108 | 3,765 | $18,898 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 46 | 3,308 | $37,643 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 55 | 3,078 | $16,440 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 50 | 3,073 | $18,557 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 68 | 2,374 | $17,400 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 68 | 2,335 | $23,303 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 72 | 2,118 | $26,192 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 49 | 1,914 | $24,113 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 58 | 1,899 | $17,738 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 67 | 1,803 | $23,824 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 52 | 1,699 | $22,421 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 40 | 1,533 | $13,652 |
Business size
US Motion Picture and Video Exhibition business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 872 | 20.1% |
| 5 to 9 | 513 | 11.8% |
| 10 to 19 | 833 | 19.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,342 | 30.9% |
| 50 to 99 | 647 | 14.9% |
| 100 to 249 | 135 | 3.1% |
| 250 to 499 | 5 | 0.1% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Motion Picture and Video Exhibition and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Information 51Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries 512Motion Picture and Video Industries 5121
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 512131 | Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) | 121,566 | $18,596 |
| 512132 | Drive-In Motion Picture Theaters | 773 | $44,599 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Motion Picture and Video Exhibition in the US?
122,339 people worked at 4,347 US Motion Picture and Video Exhibition business locations in 2023, up 11.1% from 2022. That is 0.09% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Motion Picture and Video Exhibition?
$18,760 a year per employee in 2023, from $2.3 billion in annual payroll (up 3.1% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Motion Picture and Video Exhibition jobs?
Texas had the most, with 16,858 employees in 2023, followed by California (14,971) and Florida (7,328).
Which metro areas have the most Motion Picture and Video Exhibition jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (5,707), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (4,853), Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (4,445) had the most Motion Picture and Video Exhibition employees in 2023.
Are most Motion Picture and Video Exhibition businesses small?
51.0% of the 4,347 Motion Picture and Video Exhibition 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. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.