7112/Spectator Sports
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
140K
employees, 2023
140K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 5,147 US Spectator Sports business locations employed 140,107 people and paid $33.0 billion in annual payroll, $235,617 per employee on average. Employment was up 10.0% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
5,147
+2.2% vs 2022
Employees
140,107
+10.0% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$33.0B
+12.5% vs 2022
Average pay
$235,617
+2.3% 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 Spectator Sports 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 | 655 | 16,047 | $265,640 | 0.10% |
| Florida | 726 | 14,349 | $193,454 | 0.14% |
| New York | 266 | 9,053 | $268,147 | 0.10% |
| Texas | 260 | 8,752 | $282,447 | 0.07% |
| Ohio | 118 | 7,988 | $217,964 | 0.16% |
| Pennsylvania | 175 | 6,357 | $308,194 | 0.11% |
| North Carolina | 262 | 6,046 | $185,470 | 0.14% |
| Indiana | 175 | 5,107 | $156,880 | 0.17% |
| Illinois | 169 | 4,876 | $273,326 | 0.09% |
| Missouri | 67 | 4,233 | $236,507 | 0.16% |
| Kentucky | 163 | 3,907 | $47,008 | 0.23% |
| Washington | 89 | 3,878 | $205,680 | 0.13% |
| Georgia | 143 | 3,779 | $250,705 | 0.09% |
| Wisconsin | 61 | 3,349 | $239,697 | 0.13% |
| Massachusetts | 39 | 3,345 | $315,026 | 0.10% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Spectator Sports employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 236 | 8,088 | $347,276 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 283 | 7,061 | $318,007 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 299 | 5,332 | $230,829 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 172 | 5,194 | $187,598 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 110 | 4,610 | $168,719 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 131 | 4,425 | $297,958 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 101 | 4,395 | $209,276 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 96 | 3,969 | $308,228 |
| Cleveland, OH | 32 | 3,704 | $251,047 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 54 | 3,551 | $221,078 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 84 | 3,418 | $219,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 81 | 3,268 | $237,314 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 89 | 3,168 | $185,445 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 34 | 3,094 | $199,905 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 33 | 3,037 | $343,088 |
Business size
US Spectator Sports business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 3,492 | 67.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 521 | 10.1% |
| 10 to 19 | 377 | 7.3% |
| 20 to 49 | 365 | 7.1% |
| 50 to 99 | 116 | 2.3% |
| 100 to 249 | 112 | 2.2% |
| 250 to 499 | 98 | 1.9% |
| 500 to 999 | 47 | 0.9% |
| 1,000 or more | 19 | 0.4% |
Related industries
Spectator Sports and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 71Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries 711
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71121 | Spectator Sports | 140,107 | $235,617 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Spectator Sports in the US?
140,107 people worked at 5,147 US Spectator Sports business locations in 2023, up 10.0% from 2022. That is 0.10% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Spectator Sports?
$235,617 a year per employee in 2023, from $33.0 billion in annual payroll (up 2.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Spectator Sports jobs?
California had the most, with 16,047 employees in 2023, followed by Florida (14,349) and New York (9,053).
Which metro areas have the most Spectator Sports jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (8,088), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (7,061), Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL (5,332) had the most Spectator Sports employees in 2023.
Are most Spectator Sports businesses small?
85.3% of the 5,147 Spectator Sports business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 66 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.