Pay, demand and where this field concentrates.
low → high: location quotient
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media occupations employ 2,046,290 people in the US with a median pay of $62,750 a year. BLS projects 1.5% growth to 2035 and about 255,900 openings a year.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations Specialists | 283,380 | $74,750 | $44,110 | $135,150 |
| Coaches and Scouts | 248,950 | $47,320 | $28,790 | $98,860 |
| Graphic Designers | 197,830 | $62,960 | $39,520 | $104,910 |
| Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers | 165,220 | $39,390 | $30,760 | $58,370 |
| Producers and Directors | 143,120 | $90,360 | $45,780 | $198,540 |
| Editors | 91,690 | $77,920 | $41,250 | $153,700 |
| Interior Designers | 71,500 | $67,190 | $41,420 | $114,140 |
| Audio and Video Technicians | 70,230 | $58,100 | $37,990 | $100,650 |
| Actors | 55,000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Art Directors | 53,070 | $114,850 | $64,900 | $213,050 |
| Interpreters and Translators | 52,060 | $60,170 | $37,070 | $103,660 |
| Photographers | 51,760 | $44,660 | $30,820 | $91,810 |
| Writers and Authors | 47,940 | $76,910 | $44,310 | $139,870 |
| Technical Writers | 45,500 | $90,390 | $57,440 | $145,270 |
| Floral Designers | 40,590 | $37,360 | $28,600 | $51,000 |
| News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists | 39,250 | $62,200 | $36,240 | $144,140 |
| Musicians and Singers | 36,180 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers | 33,490 | $83,910 | $53,460 | $139,770 |
| Film and Video Editors | 25,610 | $75,420 | $40,280 | $148,550 |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | 21,550 | $74,990 | $38,520 | $135,180 |
| Fashion Designers | 21,450 | $80,960 | $39,490 | $146,870 |
| Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys | 21,240 | $47,340 | $28,190 | $138,440 |
| Broadcast Technicians | 21,110 | $59,570 | $31,390 | $123,670 |
| Special Effects Artists and Animators | 19,970 | $102,030 | $58,600 | $177,110 |
| Media and Communication Workers, All Other | 19,590 | $73,620 | $39,120 | $134,270 |
| Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other | 16,550 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials | 15,780 | $40,710 | $26,540 | $82,960 |
| Athletes and Sports Competitors | 15,070 | $66,710 | $26,500 | $742,310 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | 13,080 | $73,130 | $37,570 | $137,370 |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | 12,870 | $72,420 | $42,130 | $130,560 |
Office and Administrative Support · Food Preparation and Serving Related · Transportation and Material Moving · Sales and Related · Management · Business and Financial Operations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · Educational Instruction and Library · Production · Healthcare Support · Construction and Extraction · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Computer and Mathematical · Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance · Protective Service · Personal Care and Service · Community and Social Service · Architecture and Engineering · Life, Physical, and Social Science · Legal · Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 18,140 | 0.65 | $49,140 | -22% |
| Alaska | 3,200 | 0.75 | $53,790 | -14% |
| Arizona | 33,230 | 0.78 | $56,710 | -10% |
| Arkansas | 11,510 | 0.67 | $44,220 | -30% |
| California | 338,230 | 1.41 | $79,520 | +27% |
| Colorado | 41,090 | 1.09 | $65,810 | +5% |
| Connecticut | 22,680 | 1.02 | $68,680 | +9% |
| Delaware | 4,030 | 0.63 | $59,910 | -5% |
| District of Columbia | 33,970 | 3.68 | $101,750 | +62% |
| Florida | 139,860 | 1.07 | $55,140 | -12% |
| Georgia | 57,620 | 0.90 | $60,670 | -3% |
| Hawaii | 9,430 | 1.14 | $57,830 | -8% |
| Idaho | 9,350 | 0.83 | $49,220 | -22% |
| Illinois | 64,970 | 0.81 | $63,720 | +2% |
| Indiana | 32,960 | 0.78 | $51,100 | -19% |
| Iowa | 18,580 | 0.91 | $50,820 | -19% |
| Kansas | 16,150 | 0.85 | $49,260 | -21% |
| Kentucky | 17,920 | 0.68 | $48,110 | -23% |
| Louisiana | 18,690 | 0.73 | $49,910 | -20% |
| Maine | 7,760 | 0.92 | $53,150 | -15% |
| Maryland | 32,380 | 0.89 | $71,100 | +13% |
| Massachusetts | 49,130 | 1.03 | $76,420 | +22% |
| Michigan | 52,110 | 0.90 | $55,700 | -11% |
| Minnesota | 37,480 | 0.97 | $62,480 | -0% |
| Mississippi | 9,010 | 0.59 | $43,580 | -31% |
| Missouri | 34,140 | 0.88 | $50,790 | -19% |
| Montana | 7,960 | 1.18 | $51,260 | -18% |
| Nebraska | 10,790 | 0.80 | $51,020 | -19% |
| Nevada | 21,690 | 1.06 | $56,990 | -9% |
| New Hampshire | 6,950 | 0.77 | $59,350 | -5% |
| New Jersey | 48,470 | 0.86 | $74,390 | +19% |
| New Mexico | 7,650 | 0.67 | $52,950 | -16% |
| New York | 202,830 | 1.59 | $82,250 | +31% |
| North Carolina | 61,150 | 0.94 | $55,650 | -11% |
| North Dakota | 4,940 | 0.87 | $49,080 | -22% |
| Ohio | 61,250 | 0.84 | $51,720 | -18% |
| Oklahoma | 15,840 | 0.71 | $50,720 | -19% |
| Oregon | 30,930 | 1.19 | $64,310 | +2% |
| Pennsylvania | 66,910 | 0.84 | $57,550 | -8% |
| Rhode Island | 7,650 | 1.16 | $65,090 | +4% |
| South Carolina | 20,920 | 0.69 | $50,720 | -19% |
| South Dakota | 4,880 | 0.81 | $46,040 | -27% |
| Tennessee | 41,190 | 0.95 | $50,340 | -20% |
| Texas | 141,240 | 0.76 | $53,280 | -15% |
| Utah | 24,040 | 1.05 | $54,960 | -12% |
| Vermont | 4,750 | 1.19 | $62,470 | -0% |
| Virginia | 52,910 | 0.98 | $62,540 | -0% |
| Washington | 46,490 | 0.99 | $64,850 | +3% |
| West Virginia | 5,080 | 0.55 | $45,830 | -27% |
| Wisconsin | 33,750 | 0.87 | $57,110 | -9% |
| Wyoming | 2,410 | 0.65 | $50,130 | -20% |
Highest median pay among metropolitan areas with at least 5,000 jobs in this field.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 14,980 | $99,010 | 1.00 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 47,540 | $97,320 | 1.52 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 66,280 | $90,060 | 1.61 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 192,960 | $86,000 | 1.54 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 183,330 | $81,620 | 2.22 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 38,240 | $78,610 | 1.07 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 29,190 | $73,870 | 1.06 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 24,480 | $71,600 | 1.16 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 11,870 | $70,980 | 0.83 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 6,920 | $69,990 | 1.30 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 14,910 | $68,860 | 0.84 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 22,020 | $68,620 | 1.38 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 19,990 | $67,100 | 0.99 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 49,450 | $66,320 | 0.83 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 26,690 | $65,230 | 1.04 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 38,260 | $64,540 | 1.01 |
| Rochester, NY | 6,260 | $64,150 | 0.96 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 6,040 | $63,910 | 0.77 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 9,170 | $63,120 | 0.98 |
| Madison, WI | 6,920 | $62,890 | 1.29 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 6,070 | $62,820 | 1.03 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 31,430 | $62,500 | 0.82 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 19,710 | $61,860 | 1.16 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 40,890 | $61,010 | 1.10 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 22,340 | $60,910 | 0.89 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 6,080 | $60,450 | 0.86 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 10,960 | $60,430 | 1.12 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 13,150 | $60,150 | 1.21 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 11,080 | $59,820 | 1.03 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 18,060 | $59,340 | 1.01 |
| Richmond, VA | 8,170 | $59,200 | 0.94 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 18,100 | $59,060 | 0.95 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 18,860 | $58,930 | 1.30 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 43,850 | $58,700 | 0.82 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 13,320 | $58,610 | 0.59 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 17,680 | $58,430 | 1.18 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 7,290 | $58,290 | 1.24 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 9,300 | $58,080 | 0.93 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 24,920 | $57,830 | 0.80 |
| Columbus, OH | 13,130 | $57,780 | 0.90 |
The median is $62,750 a year across the field (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
2,046,290 in May 2025.