How much does a motion picture projectionist make?

The median pay is $18.40 per hour — roughly $38,500 a year, with the real range running from about $11.25/hr (10th percentile) to $42.46/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a motion picture projectionist?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a motion picture projectionist actually do all day?

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.

Personal Care & Service

Motion Picture Projectionists

Set up and operate motion picture projection and related sound reproduction equipment.

What it pays
Motion Picture Projectionists earn a median of $18.40/hr — about $38,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $11.25/hr; the top 10% earn $42.46/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually 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.
Operate equipment to show films in a number of theaters simultaneously.
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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of motion picture projectionists are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.

Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a motion picture projectionist make?: The median pay is $18.40 per hour — roughly $38,500 a year, with the real range running from about $11.25/hr (10th percentile) to $42.46/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a motion picture projectionist?: The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a motion picture projectionist actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.