Editorial Team Opinion: North Carolina has a choice to make by 2026. Do we keep writing big checks for film industry tax incentives, or do we get serious about building up our tech sector? To me, the answer’s obvious. We need to back technology, which brings permanent jobs paying over six figures and builds a real economic base, instead of chasing the temporary buzz of Hollywood productions. The numbers are all there, but the real question is whether our policymakers in Raleigh have the guts to redirect the money.
Key Takeaways
- NC’s film grant gave out $31 million in 2025, mostly for temporary jobs that don’t build careers.
- The average tech salary in North Carolina is over $100,000 a year, way more than the typical film crew gig pays.
- Putting money into tech training and infrastructure creates a lasting economic benefit by attracting permanent companies and new ideas.
- Moving even some of the film incentive money into tech could create thousands of high-paying jobs in the next five years.
- Georgia proves you can have a balanced approach, attracting movies while also growing other industries like tech.
| Factor | Film Industry | Tech Industry |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 State Allocation | $31 million | Not specified |
| Average Annual Salary | Tied to state median | Exceeds $100,000 |
| Job Nature | Temporary/Project-based | Permanent, >$100k jobs |
| Economic Impact | Short-term “sugar rush” | Long-term, compounding growth |
| Incentive Type | Up to 25% cash rebate | Investment in talent/infrastructure |
| Investment Return | Temporary, often overstated | Compounding returns for decades |
Film Incentives Don’t Build an Economy
North Carolina’s relationship with the film industry has always been on-again, off-again. We’ve had booms from shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and various movies, but they’re always tied to whatever incentive program is currently on the books. The latest version, the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant, handed out around $31 million in 2025. It’s a simple deal: a production gets a rebate up to 25% on money it spends here, with caps of $7 million for a movie or $12 million for a TV show. The problem is that the claimed economic benefits are fleeting and often based on fuzzy math.
Film projects are, by design, temporary. A studio comes to town, hires a local crew for a few months, buys some lumber and hotel rooms, and then it’s gone. The core team, the intellectual property, and almost all the profit goes back to California. The jobs, while welcome, are seasonal gigs that don’t offer a stable career path for most North Carolinians. A Reuters report from late 2023 confirmed what we all know: the industry is volatile nationwide. We’re effectively subsidizing out-of-state corporations for a few months of activity instead of building something that lasts.
Just look at Wilmington. The city’s identity is tied to film, but its economy is constantly on a rollercoaster. When productions are in town, things are great, but when they’re not, local businesses that depend on them face a feast-or-famine cycle. Real estate prices can swing wildly based on shooting schedules. This happens because we’re tying our fate to an industry that will always chase the best deal, leaving us behind the moment another state offers a 30% rebate instead of our 25%. Is that really a smart way to invest taxpayer money?
Tech Jobs Are a Better Long-Term Bet
The tech industry, on the other hand, puts down deep roots. We already have a strong base in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area around Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, with giants like SAS and Epic Games anchoring the scene. According to the NC Department of Commerce, the average salary for a tech worker here is consistently above $100,000 annually. That’s a life-changing amount of money compared to the wages for most temporary film production jobs, which are usually much closer to the state median.
Tech companies don’t just rent a warehouse for six months. They build campuses and offices that contribute to the tax base for decades. They also create a web of other high-skill jobs. One software engineer might need a project manager, a data analyst, and a cybersecurity expert to support their work, all of whom are also well-paid. That creates a stable consumer base for local restaurants, real estate, and retail that doesn’t disappear when a director yells “cut!” The new ideas and patents developed here also tend to stay here, spinning off new startups and attracting even more investment.
I’ve seen it firsthand in my own work. When a tech firm is deciding where to expand, they’re looking for a pipeline of skilled talent and a good quality of life for their employees, things that our state already has in spades (thanks to our excellent university system like UNC and NC State). They aren’t just chasing a one-time rebate. An investment in attracting one of these companies can pay dividends for a generation, not just for one summer.
It’s Time to Shift Our Incentive Money
I’ve heard the argument that film incentives bring tourists who want to see where a movie was shot. There’s very little hard data to prove this has any meaningful economic effect, and it certainly doesn’t justify spending millions of dollars that could be used elsewhere. The supposed cultural benefits are nice, but they don’t outweigh the financial logic of creating permanent, high-paying careers in a growing industry.
We don’t have to completely eliminate the film program. But imagine if we took even **half of the $31 million** currently set aside for film grants and used it to build our tech sector. That money could go toward grants for cybersecurity training programs at our community colleges, seed funding for AI research, or infrastructure projects to bring more data centers to parts of the state that need the investment.
Georgia is a good example of how this can work. They’re famous for their film business, but if you look at the Georgia Department of Economic Development website, you’ll see they’ve also been incredibly aggressive in building up their tech industry. They prove that you can do both, but you have to be honest about where the best long-term return on investment is. The economy has changed since North Carolina’s film heyday. Our policies need to change with it.
Let’s Make the Smart Choice for NC’s Future
The time to change our economic incentive strategy is right now. Every million we spend trying to lure a temporary film shoot is a missed opportunity to invest in the tech jobs that offer North Carolinians real careers and high salaries. Our policymakers in the General Assembly and at local development commissions need to take a hard, honest look at these programs and compare the actual return from a film grant to the potential growth in tech, biotech, and advanced manufacturing.
Specifically, I’m calling for a top-to-bottom re-evaluation of the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant program. A significant portion of that funding should be redirected to create incentives for tech companies to move and expand here, especially in regions outside the immediate RTP corridor. We can fund coding bootcamps in Asheville or data science programs in Greenville. This is about giving our own citizens the skills they need for the high-paying jobs of the next two decades.
North Carolina has the talent from its universities and an incredible quality of life that makes it a prime location for the tech industry. We just need our state’s economic policy to catch up to that potential. Investing in our tech sector is going to build a far more stable and prosperous future than continuing to chase the fleeting glamour of Hollywood.
What is the current film incentive program in North Carolina?
It’s the Film and Entertainment Grant, which gives productions a rebate of up to 25% on qualified in-state spending. The program has different payout caps depending on whether it’s a feature film or a TV series.
How do tech jobs compare to film jobs in terms of salary in North Carolina?
There’s a huge difference. Tech jobs in NC average over $100,000 a year and are typically permanent. Most film jobs are temporary and pay wages closer to the state’s median income for the few months a project is shooting.
Why are film incentives considered less sustainable than tech incentives?
Film productions are temporary by nature, they shoot and then leave, taking the jobs and investment with them. Tech companies, in contrast, build permanent offices, hire people for long-term careers, and become a lasting part of the local economy and tax base.
What specific actions can North Carolina take to support the tech industry?
The state could shift money from the current film grant program into things like seed funding for tech startups, grants for established companies to expand here, and more funding for tech training and education at our community colleges statewide.
Has any other state successfully balanced film and tech incentives?
Yes, Georgia is a great example. It has a massive film industry thanks to its own incentives, but it has also worked hard to cultivate and attract tech companies simultaneously. This shows you can support both if you’re strategic.
