Motion Picture Projectionists
Set up and operate motion picture projection and related sound reproduction equipment.
1,480 people do this job in the US. $38,270 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 3%
- 0%
- 97%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 3%. Today's estimate: 3%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 17 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operate equipment to show films in a number of theaters simultaneously.Done daily by most who do it. | 15% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Monitor operations to ensure that standards for sound and image projection quality are met.Done daily by most who do it. | 15% | 17 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Set up and adjust picture projectors and screens to achieve proper size, illumination, and focus of images, and proper volume and tone of sound.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 13% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Coordinate equipment operation with presentation of supplemental material, such as music, oral commentaries, or sound effects.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min13 min to 1.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Open and close facilities according to rules and schedules.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Inspect projection equipment prior to operation to ensure proper working order.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Clean the projection booth.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Set up and inspect curtain and screen controls.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Perform regular maintenance tasks, such as rotating or replacing xenon bulbs, cleaning projectors and lenses, lubricating machinery, and keeping electrical contacts clean and tight.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Install and connect auxiliary equipment, such as microphones, amplifiers, disc playback machines, and lights.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Prepare film inspection reports, attendance sheets, and log books.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Observe projector operation to anticipate need to transfer operations from one projector to another.Done daily by most who do it. | 3% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers6% now, 7% by 2028
- Lighting Technicians8% now, 12% by 2028
- Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers7% now, 7% by 2028
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators14% now, 14% by 2028
- Audio and Video Technicians25% now, 54% by 2028
- Prepress Technicians and Workers71% now, 77% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).