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Size of the US Motion Picture and Video industries

NAICS 5121, Motion Picture and Video Industries. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$109 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
354,101
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
34,405
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
23,344
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$18.8 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 354,101 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 413,6612019-Q2: 416,8082019-Q3: 408,5882019-Q4: 408,0452020-Q1: 400,8962020-Q2: 189,6242020-Q3: 240,7992020-Q4: 272,6162021-Q1: 303,9462021-Q2: 329,2802021-Q3: 370,6592021-Q4: 398,3892022-Q1: 417,0092022-Q2: 427,7502022-Q3: 411,2522022-Q4: 413,2432023-Q1: 388,7672023-Q2: 361,5732023-Q3: 315,8862023-Q4: 345,4252024-Q1: 368,7162024-Q2: 358,3772024-Q3: 352,2072024-Q4: 357,8392025-Q1: 329,6292025-Q2: 348,2172025-Q3: 331,6252025-Q4: 342,3602026-Q1: 354,101NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1354,1012022
2025-Q4342,3602022
2025-Q3331,6252022
2025-Q2348,2172022
2025-Q1329,6292022
2024-Q4357,8392022
2024-Q3352,2072022
2024-Q2358,3772022
2024-Q1368,7162022
2023-Q4345,4252022
2023-Q3315,8862022
2023-Q2361,5732022
2023-Q1388,7672022
2022-Q4413,2432022
2022-Q3411,2522022
2022-Q2427,7502022
2022-Q1417,0092022
2021-Q4398,3892017
2021-Q3370,6592017
2021-Q2329,2802017
2021-Q1303,9462017
2020-Q4272,6162017
2020-Q3240,7992017
2020-Q2189,6242017
2020-Q1400,8962017
2019-Q4408,0452017
2019-Q3408,5882017
2019-Q2416,8082017
2019-Q1413,6612017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 307,031 · 2023
2017: 315,6482018: 313,0682019: 305,4202020: 294,9722021: 218,1442022: 282,7612023: 307,031
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023307,031
2022282,761
2021218,144
2020294,972
2019305,420
2018313,068
2017315,648

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 34,405 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 28,4012019-Q2: 28,8392019-Q3: 29,1632019-Q4: 30,0622020-Q1: 29,6282020-Q2: 29,8462020-Q3: 30,3012020-Q4: 31,3062021-Q1: 30,7072021-Q2: 31,2462021-Q3: 31,8952021-Q4: 32,8862022-Q1: 32,8022022-Q2: 33,4152022-Q3: 34,0692022-Q4: 34,7322023-Q1: 34,5542023-Q2: 34,7742023-Q3: 35,1932023-Q4: 35,5812024-Q1: 34,8782024-Q2: 35,0742024-Q3: 35,2502024-Q4: 35,4352025-Q1: 33,9662025-Q2: 33,9992025-Q3: 34,1582025-Q4: 34,5282026-Q1: 34,405NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q134,4052022
2025-Q434,5282022
2025-Q334,1582022
2025-Q233,9992022
2025-Q133,9662022
2024-Q435,4352022
2024-Q335,2502022
2024-Q235,0742022
2024-Q134,8782022
2023-Q435,5812022
2023-Q335,1932022
2023-Q234,7742022
2023-Q134,5542022
2022-Q434,7322022
2022-Q334,0692022
2022-Q233,4152022
2022-Q132,8022022
2021-Q432,8862017
2021-Q331,8952017
2021-Q231,2462017
2021-Q130,7072017
2020-Q431,3062017
2020-Q330,3012017
2020-Q229,8462017
2020-Q129,6282017
2019-Q430,0622017
2019-Q329,1632017
2019-Q228,8392017
2019-Q128,4012017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 25,641 · 2023
2017: 22,1502018: 23,1742019: 24,0112020: 24,5062021: 25,2682022: 25,9132023: 25,641
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202325,641
202225,913
202125,268
202024,506
201924,011
201823,174
201722,150

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $7.3 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $7.2 billion2019-Q2: $6.8 billion2019-Q3: $7.0 billion2019-Q4: $9.4 billion2020-Q1: $7.5 billion2020-Q2: $4.5 billion2020-Q3: $5.0 billion2020-Q4: $8.9 billion2021-Q1: $7.2 billion2021-Q2: $7.4 billion2021-Q3: $8.1 billion2021-Q4: $10.6 billion2022-Q1: $8.9 billion2022-Q2: $8.2 billion2022-Q3: $8.5 billion2022-Q4: $10.1 billion2023-Q1: $8.3 billion2023-Q2: $7.3 billion2023-Q3: $6.0 billion2023-Q4: $7.9 billion2024-Q1: $7.9 billion2024-Q2: $7.6 billion2024-Q3: $7.1 billion2024-Q4: $9.3 billion2025-Q1: $7.2 billion2025-Q2: $6.8 billion2025-Q3: $6.9 billion2025-Q4: $9.1 billion2026-Q1: $7.3 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$7.3 billion2022
2025-Q4$9.1 billion2022
2025-Q3$6.9 billion2022
2025-Q2$6.8 billion2022
2025-Q1$7.2 billion2022
2024-Q4$9.3 billion2022
2024-Q3$7.1 billion2022
2024-Q2$7.6 billion2022
2024-Q1$7.9 billion2022
2023-Q4$7.9 billion2022
2023-Q3$6.0 billion2022
2023-Q2$7.3 billion2022
2023-Q1$8.3 billion2022
2022-Q4$10.1 billion2022
2022-Q3$8.5 billion2022
2022-Q2$8.2 billion2022
2022-Q1$8.9 billion2022
2021-Q4$10.6 billion2017
2021-Q3$8.1 billion2017
2021-Q2$7.4 billion2017
2021-Q1$7.2 billion2017
2020-Q4$8.9 billion2017
2020-Q3$5.0 billion2017
2020-Q2$4.5 billion2017
2020-Q1$7.5 billion2017
2019-Q4$9.4 billion2017
2019-Q3$7.0 billion2017
2019-Q2$6.8 billion2017
2019-Q1$7.2 billion2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $18.8 billion · 2023
2017: $16.5 billion2018: $17.2 billion2019: $17.8 billion2020: $16.0 billion2021: $17.6 billion2022: $18.8 billion2023: $18.8 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$18.8 billion
2022$18.8 billion
2021$17.6 billion
2020$16.0 billion
2019$17.8 billion
2018$17.2 billion
2017$16.5 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages354,1012026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages34,4052026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$7.3 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$18.8 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns307,03120232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns25,64120232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$18.6 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census292,42220222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census26,48320222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census23,34420222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$109 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Motion Picture and Video Industries

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
51211Motion Picture and Video Production$87.5 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census218,9312026-Q1 · QCEW
51212Motion Picture and Video Distribution$1.4 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census6,5332026-Q1 · QCEW
51213Motion Picture and Video Exhibition$13.1 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census110,6822026-Q1 · QCEW
51219Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries$6.7 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census17,9552026-Q1 · QCEW

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.