SOC 39-3021 · Personal Care and Service Occupations
Motion Picture Projectionists
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, motion picture projectionists earned a median of $38,270 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 1,480 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $82,260 | $39.55 | 270 | 0.0 |
| Illinois | $78,990 | $37.98 | Not published | Not published |
| California | $74,840 | $35.98 | 190 | 0.0 |
| Washington | $39,070 | $18.78 | 60 | 0.0 |
| Michigan | $37,590 | $18.07 | Not published | Not published |
| Ohio | $36,870 | $17.73 | 50 | 0.0 |
| Arizona | $32,890 | $15.81 | Not published | Not published |
| Texas | $31,160 | $14.98 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,850 | $14.35 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Missouri | $29,140 | $14.01 | Not published | Not published |
| Iowa | $23,210 | $11.16 | 100 | 0.1 |
| Tennessee | $22,750 | $10.94 | 90 | 0.0 |
Pay by metro area
All 3 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $92,180 | $44.32 | 100 | 0.0 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $85,460 | $41.09 | Not published | Not published |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $82,270 | $39.55 | 230 | 0.0 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.