Driving Economic
Growth
Film and television production creates and supports jobs for millions of Americans in front of and behind the camera, while generating a valuable and sought-after global export.
An Engine for the U.S. Economy
The film and television industry supports a dynamic U.S. creative economy, employing people in every state, and across a diversity of skills and trades. In all, 2.74 million people—from special effects technicians to makeup artists to writers to set builders to ticket takers and more—work in jobs supported by the industry, which pays over $242 billion in wages annually.
When a movie or television show shoots on location, it brings jobs, revenue, and related infrastructure development, providing an immediate boost to the local economy. Our industry pays out $33 billion per year to more than 240,000 businesses in cities and small towns across the country—and the industry itself is comprised of more than 122,000 businesses, 92 percent of which employ fewer than 10 people. As much as $1.3 million can be injected into local economies per day when a film shoots on location. In some cases, popular films and television shows can also boost tourism.
For example, Marvel’s Black Panther involved more than 3,100 local workers in Georgia who took home more than $26.5 million in wages, while 20th Century Fox’s popular television series This Is Us contributed more than $61.5 million to the California economy. And in New York, Oscar-nominated films The Post and The Greatest Showman contributed more than $108 million to the state’s local economy.
A strong national economy depends on a strong creative economy—and it all starts with a story.
The film and television industry supports 2.74 million jobs, pays out $242 billion in total wages, and comprises over 122,000 businesses.
FILM & TELEVISION ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION BY STATE
The production and distribution of movies and TV shows is one of the nation’s most valuable cultural and economic resources. Each year, film and TV production activity takes places in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. To find out more about the industry’s impact on specific states, click on the states below. Additional information and updates can be found at the state's film commission website located here.
Note: Industry impact (jobs/wages) numbers reflect 2020 data. Numbers are updated annually following the release of the prior year’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.
The American Motion Picture and Television Industry: Creating Jobs, Trading Around the World
The American film and television industry supports 2.74 million jobs, pays out $242 billion in total wages, and comprises more than 122,000 businesses—according to an analysis of the most recent economic figures released by the Motion Picture Association.
For a more detailed analysis of the industry’s economic impact, download the full report:
A Global Creative Economy
American storytelling is enjoyed by audiences around the world, accounting for $14.4 billion annually in exports and registering a positive trade balance with nearly every country in the world.
To maintain our competitiveness and reach global audiences, we need open access to markets around the world via forward-looking trade policies that reduce trade barriers, address intellectual property theft, and improve international copyright laws.
More than 70 percent of global box office sales come from international markets.