Motion Picture Projectionists
Set up and operate motion picture projection and related sound reproduction equipment.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
Key knowledge
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Communications and Media
- Public Safety and Security
- Engineering and Technology
What the work involves
- Start projectors and open shutters to project images onto screens.
- Monitor operations to ensure that standards for sound and image projection quality are met.
- Operate equipment to show films in a number of theaters simultaneously.
- Set up and adjust picture projectors and screens to achieve proper size, illumination, and focus of images, and proper volume and tone of sound.
- Inspect projection equipment prior to operation to ensure proper working order.
- Perform minor repairs, such as replacing worn sprockets, or notify maintenance personnel of the need for major repairs.
- Open and close facilities according to rules and schedules.
- Set up and inspect curtain and screen controls.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Artistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (61.1% of respondents)
- Related experience
- None (46%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (33.3%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Motion Picture Projectionists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 95% of occupations compared | 30% of surveyed respondents chose “Occasional contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 71% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 91% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 65% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Low | Lower on time pressure than 72% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 68% of occupations compared | 46% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 68% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 73% of occupations compared | 32% of surveyed respondents chose “Not serious at all” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: low
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 30.22%
- Contact with others about half the time: 14.72%
- Contact with others most of the time: 27.88%
- Constant contact with others: 27.19%
n = 26, Incumbent 08/2020
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 18.24%
- Fairly important: 33.31%
- Important: 16.77%
- Very important: 7.03%
- Extremely important: 24.65%
n = 26, Incumbent 08/2020
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 14.51%
- Fairly important: 12.48%
- Important: 21.16%
- Very important: 15.85%
- Extremely important: 36.01%
n = 26, Incumbent 08/2020
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 2.91%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 25.32%
- Some freedom: 39.93%
- A lot of freedom: 31.83%
n = 26, Incumbent 08/2020
Time pressure
- Never: 25.28%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 1.12%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 1.12%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 37.29%
- Every day: 35.18%
n = 26, Incumbent 08/2020
Conflict situations
- Never: 16.54%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 24.64%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 45.93%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 12.88%
- Every day: 0%
n = 25, Incumbent 08/2020
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 21.63%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 33.34%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 25.81%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 14.57%
- Every day: 4.65%
n = 26, Incumbent 08/2020
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 31.68%
- Fairly serious: 16.3%
- Serious: 31.43%
- Very serious: 11.42%
- Extremely serious: 9.17%
n = 26, Incumbent 08/2020
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Bridge and Lock Tenders
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Etchers and Engravers
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers
Closeness 91/100
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 39-3021.00 · SOC 39-3021 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8