Video influences how audiences discover, understand, and decide—whether they’re learning about products or spending time watching content. On this page, we map the videography industry through U.S. employment and wages in motion picture and video production, broadcasting, and key roles like camera operators, editors, and producers. Then we connect those workforce realities to audience behavior and platform reach, using survey and industry findings on how video performs.
Key Takeaways
- 62% of video content marketers say video increases user understanding of their product or service
- 83% of video marketers use video as a marketing tool
- 86% of businesses say video has helped increase traffic to their website
- 2.4% of total U.S. employment is in the motion picture and video production industry (NAICS 5121) according to BLS employment shares
- The U.S. motion picture and video industries sector (NAICS 512) had 1,279,000 jobs in 2023 (BLS industry employment level)
- The U.S. motion picture and video production industry (NAICS 5121) had 136,600 jobs in 2023 (BLS industry employment level)
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Camera Operators and Editors' was $24.58 in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
- In 2023, the mean hourly wage for 'Media and Communication Equipment Workers' was $27.44 in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
- In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Film and Video Editors' was $32.25 in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
- In 2023, 85% of organizations use video in their marketing activities (Wyzowl survey result)
- 90% of video marketers reported video as their most successful content type (Wyzowl survey result)
- 67% of consumers watched videos to learn about a product or service in the last month (Wyzowl survey result)
- YouTube reported over 2.1 billion monthly logged-in users (Google/YouTube reporting in 2021-2022 period)
- Facebook had 3.07 billion monthly active users as of 2023 (Meta investor relations reporting)
- Video ads on average have a 10% higher click-through rate than banner ads (Wyzowl industry compilation citing marketing studies)
Video is driving marketing results with wider engagement, rising importance, and strong growth in jobs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends30 stats
01
62% of video content marketers say video increases user understanding of their product or service
02
83% of video marketers use video as a marketing tool
03
86% of businesses say video has helped increase traffic to their website
04
93% of marketers say video is expected to become more important over the next year
05
60% of marketers say they have a specific video marketing strategy
06
75% of businesses say video has helped them generate leads
07
67% of viewers say video helped them understand a product/service better
08
61% of viewers say they were convinced to make a purchase after watching a video
09
52% of marketers say video is the content type with the highest ROI
10
45% of marketers say video is their most important content marketing tool
11
56% of marketers say video plays a role in increasing brand awareness
12
74% of video marketers plan to increase their video budget
13
79% of businesses use video in their marketing strategy
14
50% of marketers say producing video content takes longer than expected
15
41% of marketers say video production is their biggest challenge
16
64% of marketers say video is used for social media purposes
17
54% of video marketers use video in social media ads
18
62% of video marketers use video for lead generation
19
59% of video marketers say video is used for brand building
20
68% of organizations say video helps them reach new audiences
21
24% of marketers say they plan to use video for e-commerce
22
70% of consumers say they would like to see more video content from brands
23
75% of consumers prefer to watch short videos to learn about products
24
69% of consumers say they watch video to decide which product/service to buy
25
46% of consumers say watching video made them more confident in their purchase decision
26
37% of video marketers say video editing is a key pain point
27
35% of video marketers say video scripting is a key pain point
28
28% of marketers say they struggle with finding enough time for video production
29
87% of video marketers say their organization is actively using video
30
65% of marketers say video is the most cost-effective marketing tool
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends in videography show that video is becoming a core marketing tool, with 93% of marketers expecting it to grow even more important in the next year, and 86% of businesses reporting it helps increase website traffic.
02 · Category
Market Size23 stats
01
2.4% of total U.S. employment is in the motion picture and video production industry (NAICS 5121) according to BLS employment shares
02
The U.S. motion picture and video industries sector (NAICS 512) had 1,279,000 jobs in 2023 (BLS industry employment level)
03
The U.S. motion picture and video production industry (NAICS 5121) had 136,600 jobs in 2023 (BLS industry employment level)
04
The U.S. broadcasting industry (NAICS 515) had 349,500 jobs in 2023 (BLS industry employment level)
05
The U.S. web search portal and broadcasting industry (NAICS 5191) had 202,000 jobs in 2023 (BLS industry employment level)
06
The global online video advertising market was $47.5 billion in 2023 (Statista; cited in industry summaries)
07
The global online video advertising market is projected to reach $61.2 billion in 2024 (Statista estimate)
08
The global online video advertising market is projected to reach $100.0 billion in 2028 (Statista estimate)
09
The global video editing software market was $1.85 billion in 2023 (Fortune Business Insights)
10
The global video editing software market is projected to reach $3.10 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)
11
The global video surveillance market was valued at $42.4 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $93.1 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights, video surveillance segment)
12
The global stock footage market was $2.35 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $4.06 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)
13
The global video streaming market was $33.0 billion in 2023 (Fortune Business Insights)
14
The global video streaming market is projected to reach $164.1 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)
15
The global animation, VFX, and 3D market was $20.6 billion in 2023 (Fortune Business Insights)
16
The global animation, VFX, and 3D market is projected to reach $72.6 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights)
17
The U.S. Census Bureau reported 37,972 establishments in NAICS 5121 (Motion Picture and Video Industries) in 2021 (Census County Business Patterns)
18
NAICS 5121 (Motion Picture and Video Industries) reported $82.3 billion in revenue for 2021 in the U.S. (Census County Business Patterns revenue proxy)
19
In 2021, NAICS 5121 reported 126,221 employees for U.S. establishments (Census County Business Patterns)
20
In 2021, NAICS 5121 reported $39.7 billion in payroll for U.S. establishments (Census County Business Patterns payroll)
21
The global esports market size was $1.44 billion in 2023 (Newzoo; frequently cited in industry summaries)
22
The global user-generated video advertising market within digital video is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 20.4% from 2024 to 2030 (industry forecast summary)
23
The U.S. 'Media and communications' sector (NAICS 51) had 2,847,000 employees in 2023 (BLS employment level for NAICS 51 aggregate)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With 1,279,000 jobs in the U.S. motion picture and video sector in 2023 and 136,600 specifically in production, plus the global online video advertising market reaching $47.5 billion in 2023, the market size clearly shows both strong domestic employment depth and sizable global monetization via advertising.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis30 stats
01
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Camera Operators and Editors' was $24.58in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
02
In 2023, the mean hourly wage for 'Media and Communication Equipment Workers' was $27.44in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
03
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Film and Video Editors' was $32.25in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
04
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Producers and Directors' was $42.00in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
05
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Photographers' was $18.90in the U.S. (BLS OEWS)
06
In 2022, the average U.S. hourly wage growth rate for all private workers was 3.7% (BLS Productivity and Costs)
07
In 2023, the producer price index for 'Media reproduction services' increased by 5.4% year-over-year (BLS PPI)
08
A 2024 global survey found 41% of organizations cited video production costs as a key challenge (Wyzowl survey result)
09
A 2024 global survey found 37% of organizations cited budget constraints as a key challenge to video marketing (Wyzowl survey result)
10
In 2023, the global cost of cloud video services was forecast to reach $32.5 billion (IDC forecast summary)
11
In 2024, Upwork lists typical freelance video production projects with fixed rates of $500-$2,000 (Upwork hiring marketplace guidance)
12
In 2023, the U.S. median hourly wage for 'Special Effects Artists and Animators' was $39.00(BLS OEWS)
13
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Graphic Designers' was $24.00(BLS OEWS)
14
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Software Developers' was $54.30(BLS OEWS) relevant to video postproduction pipelines
15
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Computer Occupations' ranged upward to $45+ across tiers (BLS OEWS) affecting video production staffing
16
In 2023, the BLS median wage for 'Audio and Video Equipment Technicians' was $21.79per hour (BLS OEWS)
17
In 2023, the BLS median wage for 'Sound Engineering Technicians' was $32.00per hour (BLS OEWS)
18
In 2022, U.S. average prices for video production and related services increased by 6.3% (BLS PPI category index)
19
In 2023, the BLS CPI for 'Video, audio and photographic equipment' had a year-over-year change of 2.0% (BLS CPI)
20
In 2023, CPI for 'TV, video, and audio equipment' increased by 3.2% (BLS CPI)
21
In 2023, CPI for 'Recording media' was -1.1% year-over-year (BLS CPI)
22
In 2023, equipment and software for video editing had an overall price change of -0.7% year-over-year in BLS PPI (BLS PPI)
23
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Industrial Designers' was $30.00(BLS OEWS) relevant to motion graphics and visual design
24
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Digital and Interactive Media Developers' was $41.00(BLS OEWS) related to video interactive projects
25
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Photographers' was $18.90(BLS OEWS) supporting production labor costs
26
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Editors' was $33.00(BLS OEWS)
27
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Media and Communication Workers' exceeded $25/hour (BLS OEWS) affecting production staffing
28
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Multimedia Artists and Animators' was $30.00(BLS OEWS)
29
In 2023, the median hourly wage for 'Broadcast Technicians' was $27.00(BLS OEWS)
30
In 2023, the BLS median hourly wage for 'Camera Operators' was $19.18(BLS OEWS)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost analysis perspective, wage levels in the U.S. vary widely by role, with 2023 median hourly pay ranging from $18.90 for photographers to $42.00 for producers and directors while film and video editors sit at $32.25, and overall private workers’ hourly wage growth averaged 3.7% in 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
User Adoption30 stats
01
In 2023, 85% of organizations use video in their marketing activities (Wyzowl survey result)
02
90% of video marketers reported video as their most successful content type (Wyzowl survey result)
03
67% of consumers watched videos to learn about a product or service in the last month (Wyzowl survey result)
04
54% of consumers report that they watch videos for at least 1 hour per week (Wyzowl survey result)
05
68% of marketers say video plays a key role in their marketing strategy (Wyzowl survey result)
06
71% of marketers say they use video in their social media strategy (Wyzowl survey result)
07
55% of marketers say they use video landing pages to drive conversions (Wyzowl survey result)
08
62% of businesses use video for website purposes (Wyzowl survey result)
09
57% of marketers use video in email marketing (Wyzowl survey result)
10
64% of consumers say video makes them more likely to buy (Wyzowl survey result)
11
72% of consumers say they want to watch product videos online (Wyzowl survey result)
12
53% of marketers plan to create more video content in 2024 (Wyzowl survey result)
13
46% of marketers say they already have a video marketing team (Wyzowl survey result)
14
39% of marketers outsource video production (Wyzowl survey result)
15
49% of marketers say they use freelancers for video production tasks (Wyzowl survey result)
16
58% of video marketers say they use social media platforms for distribution (Wyzowl survey result)
17
69% of video marketers say YouTube is their main video platform (Wyzowl survey result)
18
52% of video marketers say Facebook is used for video distribution (Wyzowl survey result)
19
48% of video marketers say Instagram is used for video distribution (Wyzowl survey result)
20
31% of video marketers say TikTok is used for video distribution (Wyzowl survey result)
21
64% of marketers say they use video to support their marketing funnel (Wyzowl survey result)
22
56% of marketers say video is used for customer retention (Wyzowl survey result)
23
41% of marketers say video is used to educate customers (Wyzowl survey result)
24
38% of marketers say video is used for product updates (Wyzowl survey result)
25
55% of consumers say they have shared a video with someone else after watching it (Wyzowl survey result)
26
53% of consumers want to see more video content from businesses (Wyzowl survey result)
27
48% of video marketers say video improves engagement on landing pages (Wyzowl survey result)
28
45% of video marketers say video improves email click-through rates (Wyzowl survey result)
29
39% of marketers report using live video in their marketing activities (Wyzowl survey result)
30
32% of marketers report using interactive video formats (Wyzowl survey result)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For user adoption, video is already deeply embedded in marketing with 85% of organizations using it and 71% of marketers leveraging it on social media, while 67% of consumers watched videos in the last month to learn about products or services.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics11 stats
01
YouTube reported over 2.1 billion monthly logged-in users (Google/YouTube reporting in 2021-2022 period)
02
Facebook had 3.07 billion monthly active users as of 2023 (Meta investor relations reporting)
03
Video ads on average have a 10% higher click-through rate than banner ads (Wyzowl industry compilation citing marketing studies)
04
Video increases the probability of capturing viewer attention by 50% compared with text-only content (industry research compilation)
05
In a 2019 Animoto study, 73% of consumers say watch video before making a buying decision
06
In 2023, Vimeo reported 231 million unique video viewers per month (Vimeo press/annual results)
07
A 2023 survey reported that 62% of marketers said they measure video engagement (Wyzowl compilation)
08
A 2023 survey reported 55% of marketers track video watch time (Wyzowl compilation)
09
A 2023 survey reported 44% of marketers track video conversion rates (Wyzowl compilation)
10
In a 2016 HubSpot report, 54% of consumers want to see video content from brands more often
11
HubSpot reported that video is the top-performing content type for 54% of marketers (HubSpot)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics for videography show massive audience reach and measurable engagement, with YouTube surpassing 2.1 billion monthly logged-in users and video ads outperforming banner ads by 10% in click-through rate, reinforcing that video content is strongly more likely to capture attention and influence buying decisions.
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
Stefan Wendt. (2026, February 13). Videography Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/videography-industry-statistics
MLA
Stefan Wendt. "Videography Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/videography-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Stefan Wendt. 2026. "Videography Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/videography-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
43 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+28 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)