Motion Picture Projectionists Salary
Personal Care and Service Occupations · 1.5K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$38,270
Median hourly
$18
Average annual
$51,480
Typical range
$23,390–$88,310
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Motion Picture Projectionists is $38,270 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $18 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up and operate motion picture projection and related sound reproduction equipment..
Most earn between $23,390 and $88,310 a year. There are roughly 1.5K people employed as motion picture projectionists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Motion Picture Projectionists.
- Hourly
- $18.40
- Daily
- $147
- Weekly
- $736
- Bi-weekly
- $1,472
- Monthly
- $3,189
- Annual
- $38,270
$38,270 a year is around the 50th percentile for Motion Picture Projectionistss. The median is $38,270.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New York$82,260
- 2Illinois$78,990
- 3California$74,840
- 4Washington$39,070
- 5Michigan$37,590
- 6Ohio$36,870
- 7Arizona$32,890
- 8Texas$31,160
- 9Pennsylvania$29,850
- 10Missouri$29,140
- 11Iowa$23,210
- 12Tennessee$22,750
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$92,180
- 2Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$85,460
- 3New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$82,270
Related job titles
Employers advertise Motion Picture Projectionists roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers$52,720
- Lighting Technicians$68,060
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers$52,600
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators$40,610
- Audio and Video Technicians$58,100
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film$74,990
- Prepress Technicians and Workers$48,690
- Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers$47,810
What a Motion Picture Projectionists does
- Monitor operations to ensure that standards for sound and image projection quality are met.
- Start projectors and open shutters to project images onto screens.
- Open and close facilities according to rules and schedules.
- Perform regular maintenance tasks, such as rotating or replacing xenon bulbs, cleaning projectors and lenses, lubricating machinery, and keeping electrical contacts clean and tight.
- Set up and adjust picture projectors and screens to achieve proper size, illumination, and focus of images, and proper volume and tone of sound.
- Perform minor repairs, such as replacing worn sprockets, or notify maintenance personnel of the need for major repairs.
- Operate equipment to show films in a number of theaters simultaneously.
- Inspect projection equipment prior to operation to ensure proper working order.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Motion Picture Projectionists make?
- The median annual wage for Motion Picture Projectionists is $38,270 ($18 per hour). Pay ranges from about $23,390 at the 10th percentile to $88,310 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Motion Picture Projectionists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $51,480, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Motion Picture Projectionistss the most?
- New York has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $82,260.
- Is Motion Picture Projectionists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 1.5K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Motion Picture Projectionists do?
- Monitor operations to ensure that standards for sound and image projection quality are met.; Start projectors and open shutters to project images onto screens.; Open and close facilities according to rules and schedules..