Average Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film is $68,810 per year. The middle 50% earn between $48,060 and $102,400, with 24,460 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 47 states and 88 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $36,240
- 25th
- $48,060
- Median
- $68,810
- 75th
- $102,400
- 90th
- $131,420
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two camera operators, television, video, and film at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for camera operators, television, video, and film from 2024 to 2034. Growth is below the US average of roughly 4% across all occupations. The field is relatively stable but not expanding quickly.
- Projected growth
- +1.2%
- 400 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for camera operators, television, video, and film.
Where Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where camera operators, television, video, and film work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $101,610, about 47.7% above the national median. At the metro level, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA leads with a median of $103,930.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $101,610 | 5,520 |
| District of Columbia | $100,940 | 310 |
| Oregon | $93,610 | 290 |
| New York | $89,960 | 3,510 |
| New Jersey | $85,560 | 440 |
| Illinois | $82,950 | 870 |
| Arizona | $74,830 | 630 |
| Colorado | $74,350 | 310 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $103,930 | 200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $102,310 | 3,790 |
| Tucson, AZ | $99,510 | 100 |
| Rochester, NY | $98,020 | 60 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $96,950 | 100 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $89,960 | 3,170 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $88,760 | 760 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $85,610 | 80 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see camera operators, television, video, and film pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film rose from $55,160 to $68,810, a gain of +24.7% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $55,160 would need to be worth $67,681 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $68,810 is $1,129 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +1.7% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 24.7%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +24.7%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- +1.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $55,160
- 2020
- $57,200
- 2021
- $49,230
- 2022
- $58,230
- 2023
- $61,800
- 2024
- $68,810
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Film And Video Editors
- $70,980
- Sound Engineering Technicians
- $66,430
- Lighting Technicians
- $60,560
- Audio And Video Technicians
- $54,830
- Broadcast Technicians
- $53,920
- Photographers
- $42,520
- Public Relations Specialists
- $69,780
Common salary questions for Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Camera Operators, Television, Video, And Film workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.