Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation — Industry Benchmarks

When you read the financial profile for Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, the number only becomes actionable when paired with scale. This industry sits inside the broader Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation sector and reports N/A of aggregate annual receipts. Owners comparing their own books should read the margin as a midpoint — smaller operators typically run several points below the aggregate because fixed overhead (rent, software, insurance) consumes a larger share of lower revenue bases. Treat the industry figure as a ceiling calibrated by businesses that have already achieved operating leverage.

Labor economics tell the second half of the story. Census CBP shows 1,120 active establishments employing 11,468 workers, averaging 10.2 employees per location and paying $41,003/yr per employee annually. Virginia leads the geographic distribution of employment, with New Jersey and Georgia rounding out the top three concentrations. Headcount density matters because thin-margin industries only clear the cash-flow bar when establishments reach the staffing level where fixed costs amortize — a useful cross-check against the margin line above.

Capital access is the third lens. SBA 7(a) and 504 lending activity is limited or unavailable for this NAICS code in the FY2020–2025 dataset, which often indicates the industry is self-funded or relies on other capital channels. Use this alongside the IRS and Census figures to decide whether your own plan should target operational efficiency, workforce expansion, or financed growth.