Record Production and Distribution — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the record production and distribution industry earns $163,236 per year ($78.48/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Record Production and Distribution Workers Earn?
At $163,236/year (equivalent to $78.48/hour for a full-time worker), record production and distribution wages are significantly above the national average of ~$65,000.
Higher wages in this industry typically reflect specialized skills, professional certifications, or technical expertise required for the work. Employers competing for talent in this space face elevated labor costs.
The typical record production and distribution business employs 6 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average record production and distribution business generating $6.0M/year with 6 employees at $163,236 each, total payroll represents roughly 16.3% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a record production and distributionbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $212,207/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 6 employees = ~$979,416/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $78.48/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $6.0M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Record Production and Distribution revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do record production and distribution employees make?
- The average record production and distribution employee earns $163,236 per year, which is equivalent to $78.48/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the record production and distribution industry?
- The record production and distribution industry employs 7,261 workers across 1,319 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 6 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).