5121/Motion Picture and Video Industries
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
307K
employees, 2023
307K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 25,641 US Motion Picture and Video Industries business locations employed 307,031 people and paid $18.8 billion in annual payroll, $61,214 per employee on average. Employment was up 8.6% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
25,641
-1.0% vs 2022
Employees
307,031
+8.6% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$18.8B
0.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$61,214
-7.9% 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 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 | 9,110 | 135,929 | $86,872 | 0.83% |
| New York | 2,868 | 23,139 | $74,709 | 0.26% |
| Texas | 1,290 | 20,250 | $31,635 | 0.17% |
| Florida | 1,458 | 11,334 | $41,255 | 0.11% |
| Georgia | 795 | 8,988 | $38,622 | 0.20% |
| Illinois | 734 | 7,806 | $46,790 | 0.14% |
| North Carolina | 500 | 5,321 | $50,150 | 0.12% |
| Arizona | 334 | 4,970 | $24,127 | 0.17% |
| Pennsylvania | 487 | 4,941 | $37,370 | 0.09% |
| Ohio | 391 | 4,719 | $26,066 | 0.09% |
| Michigan | 413 | 4,596 | $24,647 | 0.11% |
| Washington | 491 | 4,590 | $42,433 | 0.15% |
| Virginia | 346 | 4,572 | $37,934 | 0.13% |
| New Jersey | 435 | 4,476 | $38,276 | 0.11% |
| Tennessee | 345 | 4,315 | $40,999 | 0.15% |
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 Industries employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,542 | 117,813 | $88,580 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,841 | 22,210 | $77,578 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 673 | 7,571 | $42,841 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 640 | 6,392 | $53,696 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 488 | 6,179 | $125,136 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 444 | 5,885 | $32,363 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 312 | 4,426 | $53,193 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 624 | 4,296 | $48,612 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 399 | 3,871 | $61,786 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 247 | 3,822 | $24,514 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 217 | 3,504 | $26,455 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 289 | 3,407 | $50,357 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 290 | 3,249 | $44,575 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 291 | 2,966 | $50,207 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 254 | 2,560 | $63,938 |
Business size
US Motion Picture and Video Industries business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 18,975 | 74.0% |
| 5 to 9 | 2,044 | 8.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,624 | 6.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,823 | 7.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 829 | 3.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 261 | 1.0% |
| 250 to 499 | 53 | 0.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 16 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 16 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Motion Picture and Video Industries and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Information 51Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries 512
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51211 | Motion Picture and Video Production | 158,632 | $86,308 |
| 51213 | Motion Picture and Video Exhibition | 122,339 | $18,760 |
| 51219 | Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries | 23,535 | $106,536 |
| 51212 | Motion Picture and Video Distribution | 2,525 | $119,223 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Motion Picture and Video Industries in the US?
307,031 people worked at 25,641 US Motion Picture and Video Industries business locations in 2023, up 8.6% from 2022. That is 0.22% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Motion Picture and Video Industries?
$61,214 a year per employee in 2023, from $18.8 billion in annual payroll (down 7.9% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Motion Picture and Video Industries jobs?
California had the most, with 135,929 employees in 2023, followed by New York (23,139) and Texas (20,250).
Which metro areas have the most Motion Picture and Video Industries jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (117,813), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (22,210), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (7,571) had the most Motion Picture and Video Industries employees in 2023.
Are most Motion Picture and Video Industries businesses small?
88.3% of the 25,641 Motion Picture and Video Industries business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 32 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.