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Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries: NAICS 512

About the Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries subsector

The motion picture and sound recording industries subsector is part of the information sector.

Industries in the Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries subsector group establishments involved in the production and distribution of motion pictures and sound recordings. While producers and distributors of motion pictures and sound recordings issue works for sale as traditional publishers do, the processes are sufficiently different to warrant placing establishments engaged in these activities in a separate subsector. Production is typically a complex process that involves several distinct types of establishments that are engaged in activities, such as contracting with performers, creating the film or sound content, and providing technical postproduction services. Film distribution is often to exhibitors, such as theaters and broadcasters, rather than through the wholesale and retail distribution chain. When the product is in a mass-produced form, NAICS treats production and distribution as the major economic activity as it does in the Publishing Industries subsector, rather than as a subsidiary activity to the manufacture of such products.

North American Industry Classification System

The motion picture and sound recording industries subsector consists of these industry groups:

  • Motion Picture and Video Industries: NAICS 5121
  • Sound Recording Industries: NAICS 5122

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in motion picture and sound recording industries. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, union membership and representation, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment and Unemployment

Data series Back
data
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

Employment (in thousands)

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

420.4 431.3 (p)440.0 (p)443.2

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees

349.0 354.8 (p)331.6  

Unemployment

Unemployment rate

4.8% 3.7% 10.2% 8.4%

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey

Union Membership and Representation

Data series Back
data
2020 2021 2022 2023

Union membership and representation

Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

14.0% 17.3% 17.3% 12.1%

Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

15.1% 18.3% 17.8% 12.5%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2022

Actors

18,980

Audio and video equipment technicians

9,470

Cashiers

6,370

Motion picture projectionists

1,520

Producers and directors

61,170

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for motion picture and sound recording industries.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in motion picture and sound recording industries.

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$37.42 $38.12 $38.59 (p)$38.14

Average weekly hours

28.2 27.8 26.4 (p)26.8

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$28.45 $28.53 $28.75 (p)$28.63

Average weekly hours

24.2 23.6 22.3 (p)23.1

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series Back
data
Median weekly earnings
2020 2021 2022 2023

Union membership and representation

Full-time workers

$1,149 $1,325 $1,388 $1,334

Members of unions

-$ $1,884 $2,276 -$

Represented by unions

-$ $1,885 $2,277 -$

Nonunion

$1,053 $1,230 $1,300 $1,252

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2022
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Actors

16.70 38.90 (1)- (1)-

Audio and video equipment technicians

28.21 34.22 58,680 71,170

Cashiers

10.71 11.73 22,270 24,400

Motion picture projectionists

14.93 15.42 31,060 32,080

Producers and directors

48.54 56.51 100,970 117,540

Footnotes
(1) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in motion picture and sound recording industries. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series 2015 2016 2017 2018

Fatalities

Number of fatalities

3 4 5 5

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Data series 2022

Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers

Total recordable cases

 

Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer

0.7

Cases involving days away from work

0.6

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

0.1

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in motion picture and sound recording industries.

Establishments

Data series Back
data
4th quarter
2022
1st quarter
2023
2nd quarter
2023
3rd quarter
2023

Number of establishments

Private industry

39,902 (p)39,810 (p)40,305 (p)40,826

Local government

6 (p)6 (p)5 (p)5

State government

       

Federal government

7 (p)7 (p)7 (p)7

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

 

Data extracted on: March 22, 2024