occupation · 27-0000 · major
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations — wages and employment
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations earned a median annual wage of $60,140 in the United States in May 2024, with 2,098,690 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations earned a median annual wage of $60,140 in the United States in May 2024, with 2,098,690 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $32,540 or less, the best-paid tenth $129,110 or more. Since May 2020 the median moved from $53,150 to $60,140, +13.2 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $97,680; the lowest Puerto Rico at $34,680. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $92,370. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code for May 2024 (the cap changes by year). Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 2,098,690 | $60,140 | $77,040 | $32,540 | $41,290 | $88,370 | $129,110 | $28.91 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 2,106,490 | $58,920 | $75,520 | $31,200 | $39,220 | $84,790 | $127,880 | $28.33 | evidence → |
| May 2022 | 2,063,380 | $58,030 | $76,500 | $30,410 | $38,690 | $85,880 | $129,670 | $27.90 | evidence → |
| May 2021 | 1,815,290 | $51,190 | $66,100 | $29,010 | $37,270 | $79,200 | $122,420 | $24.61 | evidence → |
| May 2020 | 1,857,500 | $53,150 | $64,400 | $25,490 | $34,980 | $78,900 | $113,630 | $25.55 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $97,680 | 36,460 |
| New York | $80,980 | 205,150 |
| California | $77,490 | 341,350 |
| Washington | $67,020 | 55,040 |
| New Jersey | $66,990 | 50,160 |
| Massachusetts | $66,690 | 52,520 |
| Maryland | $66,290 | 33,090 |
| Connecticut | $65,620 | 22,360 |
| Colorado | $62,990 | 42,350 |
| Oregon | $62,370 | 28,760 |
| Rhode Island | $62,080 | 7,540 |
| Virginia | $60,820 | 58,950 |
| Minnesota | $59,160 | 36,030 |
| Hawaii | $58,180 | 10,300 |
| Illinois | $56,810 | 70,340 |
| New Hampshire | $56,340 | 6,840 |
| Vermont | $56,050 | 4,790 |
| Nevada | $55,240 | 21,530 |
| Delaware | $53,600 | 4,450 |
| Florida | $53,060 | 137,790 |
| Georgia | $53,040 | 58,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,910 | 66,410 |
| Wisconsin | $51,460 | 33,160 |
| Arizona | $50,960 | 35,550 |
| New Mexico | $50,820 | 8,780 |
| Utah | $50,780 | 26,090 |
| Alaska | $50,550 | 3,360 |
| North Carolina | $50,240 | 60,650 |
| Missouri | $50,080 | 33,440 |
| Michigan | $50,080 | 53,840 |
| Texas | $49,700 | 146,630 |
| Maine | $49,440 | 8,130 |
| Nebraska | $49,370 | 11,010 |
| Iowa | $48,410 | 19,360 |
| Tennessee | $48,190 | 38,700 |
| Wyoming | $48,130 | 2,320 |
| Indiana | $47,830 | 35,560 |
| Oklahoma | $47,720 | 16,520 |
| South Carolina | $47,690 | 20,610 |
| Ohio | $47,300 | 67,590 |
| Alabama | $46,780 | 18,080 |
| Louisiana | $46,620 | 19,590 |
| Kansas | $46,590 | 17,420 |
| North Dakota | $46,350 | 5,150 |
| Montana | $46,220 | 7,890 |
| Idaho | $44,570 | 9,180 |
| Kentucky | $44,170 | 17,970 |
| South Dakota | $43,250 | 5,030 |
| Arkansas | $42,090 | 12,080 |
| Mississippi | $41,600 | 9,440 |
| West Virginia | $40,990 | 5,400 |
| Guam | $37,130 | 490 |
| Virgin Islands | $36,130 | 260 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,680 | 6,220 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $92,370 | 15,600 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $91,680 | 50,900 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $84,160 | 195,520 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82,720 | 70,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82,490 | 174,200 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $78,770 | 2,980 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $76,960 | 37,010 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $75,060 | 590 |
| Boulder, CO | $73,230 | 3,690 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $71,780 | 3,120 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $71,040 | 6,680 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $70,980 | 40,970 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $70,340 | 2,100 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $67,110 | 11,990 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $66,290 | 15,920 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $65,220 | 2,530 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $65,160 | 820 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $65,100 | 20,120 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $64,990 | 25,120 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $63,890 | 6,150 |
Occupations in this group
41 detailed occupations, largest first.
- Public Relations Specialists 27-3031 · median $69,780 · 280,590 jobs
- Coaches and Scouts 27-2022 · median $45,920 · 250,940 jobs
- Graphic Designers 27-1024 · median $61,300 · 214,260 jobs
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers 27-1026 · median $37,350 · 192,480 jobs
- Producers and Directors 27-2012 · median $83,480 · 145,270 jobs
- Editors 27-3041 · median $75,260 · 95,480 jobs
- Audio and Video Technicians 27-4011 · median $54,830 · 70,080 jobs
- Interior Designers 27-1025 · median $63,490 · 69,580 jobs
- Technical Writers 27-3042 · median $91,670 · 55,530 jobs
- Interpreters and Translators 27-3091 · median $59,440 · 53,360 jobs
- Photographers 27-4021 · median $42,520 · 51,230 jobs
- Art Directors 27-1011 · median $111,040 · 50,370 jobs
- Writers and Authors 27-3043 · median $72,270 · 47,800 jobs
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists 27-3023 · median $60,280 · 41,550 jobs
- Floral Designers 27-1023 · median $36,120 · 40,160 jobs
- Actors 27-2011 · median — · 38,800 jobs
- Musicians and Singers 27-2042 · median — · 38,350 jobs
- Commercial and Industrial Designers 27-1021 · median $79,450 · 30,250 jobs
- Film and Video Editors 27-4032 · median $70,980 · 28,860 jobs
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film 27-4031 · median $68,810 · 24,460 jobs
- Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys 27-3011 · median $45,680 · 23,880 jobs
- Media and Communication Workers, All Other 27-3099 · median $71,770 · 23,590 jobs
- Special Effects Artists and Animators 27-1014 · median $99,800 · 21,280 jobs
- Broadcast Technicians 27-4012 · median $53,920 · 21,080 jobs
- Fashion Designers 27-1022 · median $80,690 · 20,910 jobs
- Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials 27-2023 · median $38,820 · 15,080 jobs
- Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other 27-2099 · median — · 15,040 jobs
- Athletes and Sports Competitors 27-2021 · median $62,360 · 14,370 jobs
- Sound Engineering Technicians 27-4014 · median $66,430 · 13,050 jobs
- Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other 27-4099 · median $67,190 · 13,020 jobs
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners 27-3092 · median $67,310 · 12,630 jobs
- Music Directors and Composers 27-2041 · median $63,670 · 12,330 jobs
- Set and Exhibit Designers 27-1027 · median $66,280 · 10,850 jobs
- Lighting Technicians 27-4015 · median $60,560 · 10,130 jobs
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators 27-1013 · median $60,560 · 10,000 jobs
- Designers, All Other 27-1029 · median $66,220 · 9,680 jobs
- Dancers 27-2031 · median — · 9,060 jobs
- Disc Jockeys, Except Radio 27-2091 · median — · 8,170 jobs
- Artists and Related Workers, All Other 27-1019 · median $72,760 · 7,370 jobs
- Craft Artists 27-1012 · median $38,480 · 4,370 jobs
- Choreographers 27-2032 · median $55,600 · 3,430 jobs
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