Motion Picture Projectionists pay in the U.S.
$51,480avg. a year
$24.75 an hour · 1,480 employed
Motion Picture Projectionists in the U.S. earn an average of $51,480 a year and a median of $38,270. Pay is highest in Illinois ($78,680) and lowest in Iowa ($27,080).
$38,270Median pay
$24.75Average hourly
+50%Avg. pay since 2020
1,480Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for motion picture projectionists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1
Illinois
$78,680
$37.83 an hour
2190 jobs
California
$78,050
$37.52 an hour
3270 jobs
New York
$76,910
$36.97 an hour
460 jobs
Washington
$44,580
$21.43 an hour
5
Michigan
$40,190
$19.32 an hour
6
Arizona
$38,320
$18.42 an hour
750 jobs
Ohio
$37,130
$17.85 an hour
840 jobs
Texas
$31,480
$15.14 an hour
9
Missouri
$31,080
$14.94 an hour
1040 jobs
Pennsylvania
$29,330
$14.10 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Motion Picture Projectionists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $31k$31k–$38k$38k–$77k$77k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $95,820 | $46.07 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $83,770 | $40.27 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Motion Picture Projectionists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $38,320 | $32,890 | – |
| California | $78,050 | $74,840 | 190 |
| Illinois | $78,680 | $78,990 | – |
| Iowa | $27,080 | $23,210 | 100 |
| Michigan | $40,190 | $37,590 | – |
| Missouri | $31,080 | $29,140 | – |
| New York | $76,910 | $82,260 | 270 |
| Ohio | $37,130 | $36,870 | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,330 | $29,850 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $27,840 | $22,750 | 90 |
| Texas | $31,480 | $31,160 | 40 |
| Washington | $44,580 | $39,070 | 60 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$83,770
230 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$95,820
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do motion picture projectionists make?
The average is $51,480 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $38,270 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $24.75, and the median is $18.40 an hour.
Which state pays motion picture projectionists the most?
Illinois, with an average of $78,680 a year. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $95,820.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $23,390 a year, and the top 10% earn over $88,310.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 39-3021. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.