Will AI replace motion picture projectionists?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 54m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The other 5h 6m (64%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 6.2% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 4 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h 54m of a typical shift. 9 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 1 physical task, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Operate equipment to show films in a number of theaters simultaneously. (1h 23m a shift; e.g. GDC TMS-2000 / Cinema Automation CA2.0, in use)
• Start projectors and open shutters to project images onto screens. (50m a shift; e.g. Digital cinema automation / show control systems (industry overview), in use)
• Set up and adjust picture projectors and screens to achieve proper size, illumination, and focus of images, and proper volume and tone of sound. (33m a shift; e.g. Christie Mystique Cinema at Pathe Royal Theater Tuschinski, in use)
• Coordinate equipment operation with presentation of supplemental material, such as music, oral commentaries, or sound effects. (8m a shift; e.g. GDC Cinema Automation 2.0 (CA2.0) with SR-1000/SX-3000 media servers, in use)

5h 6m of a typical shift, or 64%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Monitor operations to ensure that standards for sound and image projection quality are met. (1h 39m a shift)
• Perform regular maintenance tasks, such as rotating or replacing xenon bulbs, cleaning projectors and lenses, lubricating machinery, and keeping electrical contacts clean and tight. (41m a shift)
• Open and close facilities according to rules and schedules. (33m a shift)
• Inspect projection equipment prior to operation to ensure proper working order. (25m a shift)
• Inspect movie films to ensure that they are complete and in good condition. (25m a shift)

Part of the answer is the setting, not just the tasks. Work that is in person, hands on or high stakes is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 59% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 53% talk face to face with others every day

On Indeed, job postings in the Hospitality & Tourism sector are at 83% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 5.2% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 300 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $38,270 a year ($18.40 an hour), 25% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $23,390 and $88,310 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 6.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 1,400 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 300 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 1,480 people in the U.S., roughly 0.00% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 781st largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 1,400 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 61% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Speaking
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 6m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Apple macOS, Autodesk AutoCAD, Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Download digital keys to unlock digital movie files.
• Ingest digital content, such as films, advertisements, or trailers, into servers or projectors.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers (19m touched, $53k median pay)
• Lighting Technicians (0m touched, $68k median pay)
• Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers (0m touched, $53k median pay)
• Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators (2h 10m touched, $41k median pay)
• Audio and Video Technicians (6m touched, $58k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 with robots in real deployments, 13 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.