5122/Sound Recording Industries
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
26K
employees, 2023
26K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 4,585 US Sound Recording Industries business locations employed 26,014 people and paid $3.3 billion in annual payroll, $127,509 per employee on average. Employment was up 1.2% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
4,585
+2.8% vs 2022
Employees
26,014
+1.2% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$3.3B
+9.4% vs 2022
Average pay
$127,509
+8.1% 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 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 | 1,386 | 9,233 | $154,262 | 0.06% |
| New York | 580 | 5,971 | $162,213 | 0.07% |
| Tennessee | 286 | 2,966 | $121,007 | 0.10% |
| Florida | 331 | 917 | $99,314 | 0.01% |
| Illinois | 143 | 813 | $60,835 | 0.01% |
| Texas | 231 | 658 | $64,488 | 0.01% |
| New Jersey | 107 | 599 | $67,606 | 0.02% |
| Colorado | 67 | 524 | $71,895 | 0.02% |
| Georgia | 173 | 504 | $72,772 | 0.01% |
| Washington | 86 | 364 | $89,516 | 0.01% |
| Minnesota | 59 | 359 | $63,930 | 0.01% |
| Pennsylvania | 79 | 332 | $95,873 | 0.01% |
| North Carolina | 94 | 285 | $72,119 | 0.01% |
| Michigan | 80 | 237 | $58,080 | 0.01% |
| Wisconsin | 30 | 220* | $68,245 | 0.01% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Sound Recording Industries employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,130 | 8,011 | $162,148 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 596 | 6,027 | $159,893 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 257 | 2,876 | $121,244 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 86 | 790* | $103,761 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 133 | 764 | $60,029 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 180 | 559 | $122,898 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 145 | 381 | $65,963 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 6 | 274* | $71,445 |
| Boulder, CO | 15 | 268 | $78,970 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 60 | 242 | $110,888 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 52 | 230 | $96,635 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 60 | 206 | $74,189 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 60 | 204 | $53,343 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 47 | 186 | $61,478 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 15 | 175* | $71,731 |
Business size
US Sound Recording Industries business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 3,841 | 83.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 372 | 8.1% |
| 10 to 19 | 176 | 3.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 114 | 2.5% |
| 50 to 99 | 49 | 1.1% |
| 100 to 249 | 21 | 0.5% |
| 250 to 499 | 9 | 0.2% |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Sound Recording Industries and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Information 51Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries 512
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51225 | Record Production and Distribution | 11,458 | $177,355 |
| 51224 | Sound Recording Studios | 6,596 | $72,880 |
| 51223 | Music Publishers | 5,355 | $111,717 |
| 51229 | Other Sound Recording Industries | 2,605 | $79,044 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Sound Recording Industries in the US?
26,014 people worked at 4,585 US Sound Recording Industries business locations in 2023, up 1.2% from 2022. That is 0.02% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Sound Recording Industries?
$127,509 a year per employee in 2023, from $3.3 billion in annual payroll (up 8.1% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Sound Recording Industries jobs?
California had the most, with 9,233 employees in 2023, followed by New York (5,971) and Tennessee (2,966).
Which metro areas have the most Sound Recording Industries jobs?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (8,011), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (6,027), Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (2,876) had the most Sound Recording Industries employees in 2023.
Are most Sound Recording Industries businesses small?
95.8% of the 4,582 Sound Recording Industries 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.