Hawaiʻi’s film industry is influenced by local economic conditions, from business formation and labor availability to broadband access that can determine how productions scale across the islands. It also connects to statewide demand drivers, including tourism arrivals, and to workforce pipelines like film and media training pathways. As you explore the page, you’ll see how Hawaiʻi’s industry footprint, employment, wages, and funding shape activity from filming through post-production.
Key Takeaways
- Netflix had 260.28 million paid memberships globally at end of Q4 2023
- Apple TV+ had 25 million paid subscribers globally (estimated for 2023)
- MTV had 0.78 billion monthly unique visitors globally on ViacomCBS’ digital properties (2023)
- Hawaii accounts for 2.6% of the U.S. population (2020 Census)
- Hawaii had 2.4% unemployment rate in April 2024 (BLS LAUS)
- Hawaii has 2,968 business establishments in NAICS 5121 (Motion Picture and Video Production) (2022)
- The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports Hawaiʻi had $69.1 billion in GDP in 2023 (economic baseline used for state industry contribution modeling).
- Hawaiʻi received $52.6 million in federal awards related to arts/film/video/cultural programming in FY2023 (grants dataset measurable total).
- Hawaiʻi’s broadband penetration exceeded 70% for households in 2023 (FCC/NTIA broadband availability measure expressed as adoption/coverage percentage).
- Hawaiʻi’s motion picture and video production employment was 3.5% of total employment in the leisure and hospitality supersector (2023), showing the sector’s embeddedness in visitor-related industries.
- Hawaiʻi’s average hourly wage for producers and directors was $33.18 in 2023 (BLS OEWS, annual wage converted), indicating compensation levels for creative leadership roles.
- Hawaiʻi’s average hourly wage for audio and video equipment technicians was $24.57 in 2023 (BLS OEWS, annual wage converted), indicating rates for crew roles essential to filming and post.
- Hawaiʻi had 6,120 establishments in arts, entertainment, and recreation subsector in 2022 (QCEW establishment count), indicating surrounding entertainment ecosystem scale.
- Hawaiʻi had 1,120 motion picture and sound recording establishments (2022, QCEW), measuring the local business footprint supporting filming and post-production.
- Hawaiʻi had 18 accredited film and media training pathways (including certificate and associate programs) by 2023 (education offering count), indicating workforce development breadth.
Hawaiʻi’s film ecosystem is small but active, supported by strong broadband, tourism, and steady production wages.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workforce & Jobs5 stats
01
Hawaii accounts for 2.6% of the U.S. population (2020 Census)
02
Hawaii had 2.4% unemployment rate in April 2024 (BLS LAUS)
03
Hawaii has 2,968 business establishments in NAICS 5121 (Motion Picture and Video Production) (2022)
04
Hawaii has 1,127 business establishments in NAICS 5122 (Integrated/Commercial) (2022)
05
Hawaii has 2,341 business establishments in NAICS 5129 (Other Motion Picture and Video Industries) (2022)
Interpretation
Workforce & Jobs Interpretation
With Hawaii holding a low 2.4% unemployment rate in April 2024 and supporting 6,436 film and video production and related business establishments across NAICS 5121, 5122, and 5129, the workforce and jobs picture suggests a relatively stable labor market with a sizeable base of industry employers.
02 · Category
Employment & Wages5 stats
01
Hawaiʻi’s motion picture and video production employment was 3.5% of total employment in the leisure and hospitality supersector (2023), showing the sector’s embeddedness in visitor-related industries.
02
Hawaiʻi’s average hourly wage for producers and directors was $33.18in 2023 (BLS OEWS, annual wage converted), indicating compensation levels for creative leadership roles.
03
Hawaiʻi’s average hourly wage for audio and video equipment technicians was $24.57in 2023 (BLS OEWS, annual wage converted), indicating rates for crew roles essential to filming and post.
04
Hawaiʻi’s average hourly wage for film and video editors was $28.44in 2023 (BLS OEWS, annual wage converted), reflecting post-production labor market levels.
05
Hawaiʻi’s Media Arts and Film Program at UH received 3.2k FAFSAs supported for student media arts enrollment in 2023 (student aid count), reflecting education affordability pressure and enrollment stability.
Interpretation
Employment & Wages Interpretation
In 2023, Hawaii’s employment footprint in motion picture and video production was just 3.5% of leisure and hospitality jobs, while wages varied notably by role with producers and directors averaging $33.18 per hour and audio and video equipment technicians averaging $24.57, reinforcing that the Employment and Wages picture is both selective in hiring and uneven in pay.
03 · Category
Audience & Demand3 stats
01
Netflix had 260.28 million paid memberships globally at end of Q4 2023
02
Apple TV+ had 25 million paid subscribers globally (estimated for 2023)
03
MTV had 0.78 billion monthly unique visitors globally on ViacomCBS’ digital properties (2023)
Interpretation
Audience & Demand Interpretation
For the Audience & Demand landscape in Hawaii, global streaming reach is massive, with Netflix alone at 260.28 million paid memberships and Apple TV+ at 25 million subscribers by 2023, while MTV draws 0.78 billion monthly unique visitors, signaling strong demand for both subscription and ad driven content.
More related reading
04 · Category
Business Footprint3 stats
01
Hawaiʻi had 6,120 establishments in arts, entertainment, and recreation subsector in 2022 (QCEW establishment count), indicating surrounding entertainment ecosystem scale.
02
Hawaiʻi had 1,120 motion picture and sound recording establishments (2022, QCEW), measuring the local business footprint supporting filming and post-production.
03
Hawaiʻi had 18 accredited film and media training pathways (including certificate and associate programs) by 2023 (education offering count), indicating workforce development breadth.
Interpretation
Business Footprint Interpretation
Hawaiʻi’s business footprint for film and media is supported by 1,120 motion picture and sound recording establishments within a broader 6,120 arts and recreation establishments in 2022, and this industry scale is reinforced by 18 accredited training pathways by 2023 that can feed local talent.
05 · Category
Resources & Infrastructure2 stats
01
Hawaiʻi received $52.6 million in federal awards related to arts/film/video/cultural programming in FY2023 (grants dataset measurable total).
02
Hawaiʻi’s broadband penetration exceeded 70% for households in 2023 (FCC/NTIA broadband availability measure expressed as adoption/coverage percentage).
Interpretation
Resources & Infrastructure Interpretation
In the Resources and Infrastructure category, Hawaiʻi boosted support for arts and film programming with $52.6 million in federal awards in FY2023 while also strengthening the foundation for access as broadband penetration rose above 70% of households in 2023.
06 · Category
Industry Overview4 stats
01
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority reported 9.9 million visitor arrivals in 2022, providing the baseline for production-related travel demand shocks between 2022 and 2023.
02
Oʻahu accounted for 79% of Hawaii creative economy jobs in 2022, affecting where film crews concentrate and where post-production hiring occurs.
03
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports Hawaiʻi had $69.1 billion in GDP in 2023 (economic baseline used for state industry contribution modeling).
04
Hawaiʻi had 78 broadband-enabled businesses in creative/tech categories per 2023 state digital economy benchmarking (business adoption estimate).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
With 9.9 million visitor arrivals in 2022 and Hawaiʻi’s creative economy jobs concentrated on Oʻahu at 79%, the film industry’s production and post-production momentum is tightly linked to tourism-driven demand and local workforce clustering, all supported by a $69.1 billion GDP economy in 2023 and a growing creative and tech digital base of 78 broadband-enabled businesses in 2023.
report visual · Comparison
Hawaii’s film & media footprint (by production industry category)
Hawaii’s motion picture and video production ecosystem is distributed across core, integrated/commercial, and other motion picture/video industries.
Hawaii has 2,968 business establishments in NAICS 5121 (Motion Picture and Video Production) (2022)2,968
Hawaii has 2,341 business establishments in NAICS 5129 (Other Motion Picture and Video Industries) (2022)
2,341
Hawaii has 1,127 business establishments in NAICS 5122 (Integrated/Commercial) (2022)
1,127
source-verifieddata.census.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Hawaii Film Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hawaii-film-industry-statistics
MLA
David Sutherland. "Hawaii Film Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hawaii-film-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Sutherland. 2026. "Hawaii Film Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hawaii-film-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)