Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$74,990USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$36.05USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,520 | $18.52 |
| 25th | $50,920 | $24.48 |
| 50th · Median | $74,990 | $36.05 |
| 75th | $106,660 | $51.28 |
| 90th | $135,180 | $64.99 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
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Expand more title examples (48)
Creative SpecialistDrone Camera OperatorDrone OperatorDrone PilotElectronic News Gathering Camera Operator (ENG Camera Operator)Event VideographerFilmmakerLegal VideographerMaster Control Operator (MCO)Motion DesignerMotion Picture Camera OperatorMotion Picture CameramanMotion Picture PhotographerMovie Shot Camera OperatorMovie Shot CameramanNews Camera OperatorNews Camera PersonNews Reel CameramanNews VideographerOperations TechnicianOptical Effects Camera OperatorProduction TechnicianRemote Camera OperatorRemote PilotRemotely Piloted Aircraft Camera Operator (RPA Camera Operator)Remotely Piloted Aircraft Controller (RPA Controller)Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator (RPA Operator)Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot (RPA Pilot)Remotely Piloted Aircraft Technician (RPA Technician)Sensor OperatorSports VideographerStudio Camera OperatorStudio TechnicianTelevision Camera OperatorTelevision CameramanTelevision News PhotographerUnmanned Aerial Camera OperatorUnmanned Aerial Systems Operator (UAS Operator)Unmanned Aerial Systems Pilot (UAS Pilot)Unmanned Aerial Systems Technician (UAS Technician)Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Operator (UAV Operator)Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Pilot (UAV Pilot)Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Technician (UAV Technician)Unmanned Aircraft Operator (UA Operator)Unmanned Aircraft Pilot (UA Pilot)Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operator (UAS Operator)Unmanned Aircraft Systems Pilot (UAS Pilot)Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technician (UAS Technician)
Typical tasks
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
- Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
- Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
- Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements.
- Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
- Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
Expand more tasks (15)
- Set up and perform live shots for broadcast.
- Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
- Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition.
- Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.
- Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
- Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.
- Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups.
- View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables.
- Direct studio productions.
- Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects.
- Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances.
- Set up and operate electric news gathering (ENG) microwave vehicles to gather and edit raw footage on location to send to television affiliates for broadcast.
- Write new scripts for broadcasts.
- Design graphics for studio productions.
- Stay current with new technologies in the field by reading trade magazines.
Skills used in this work
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Expand more skills (29)
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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