Motion Picture Projectionists Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for motion picture projectionists in the U.S. is $38,270 ($18.40 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $38,270
- Mean annual wage
- $51,480
- Median hourly wage
- $18.40
- Employment
- 1,480
1,480 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23,390 | $11.25 |
| 25th percentile | $30,040 | $14.44 |
| Median (50th) | $38,270 | $18.40 |
| 75th percentile | $77,730 | $37.37 |
| 90th percentile | $88,310 | $42.46 |
Highest-paying states for motion picture projectionists
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $82,260 | 270 |
| Illinois | $78,990 | — |
| California | $74,840 | 190 |
| Washington | $39,070 | 60 |
| Michigan | $37,590 | — |
| Ohio | $36,870 | 50 |
| Arizona | $32,890 | — |
| Texas | $31,160 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,850 | 40 |
| Missouri | $29,140 | — |
Lowest-paying states
- Tennessee: $22,750 median annual wage
- Iowa: $23,210 median annual wage
- Missouri: $29,140 median annual wage
- Pennsylvania: $29,850 median annual wage
- Texas: $31,160 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up and operate motion picture projection and related sound reproduction equipment.
Typical tasks
- Perform regular maintenance tasks, such as rotating or replacing xenon bulbs, cleaning projectors and lenses, lubricating machinery, and keeping electrical contacts clean and tight.
- Inspect projection equipment prior to operation to ensure proper working order.
- Inspect movie films to ensure that they are complete and in good condition.
- Monitor operations to ensure that standards for sound and image projection quality are met.
- Splice separate film reels, advertisements, and movie trailers together to form a feature-length presentation on one continuous reel.
- Start projectors and open shutters to project images onto screens.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 5.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 24.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 25.1% |
| Associate's degree | 8.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 28.0% |
| Master's degree | 6.9% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.