Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary: $101,783 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 24,460 camera operators, television, video, and film nationally earn a mean of $101,783. Employment in the series shown fell about 6% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.2% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: what the data shows
Common questions about camera operators, television, video, and film careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a camera operators, television, video, and film?
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-4031.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 24,460 workers.
What does a camera operators, television, video, and film do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a camera operators, television, video, and film make?
BLS national median annual wage: $68,810 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $101,783 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,795 |
| 25th percentile | $65,400 |
| Median (50th) | $104,371 |
| 75th percentile | $125,059 |
| 90th percentile | $137,169 |
What education do you need?
For Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Coordination, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including English Language, Computers and Electronics, Communications and Media, Telecommunications. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is camera operators, television, video, and film in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 6.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 13.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 24,460.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do camera operators, television, video, and films work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 24,460 | 19.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 23,400 | 18.4% |
| Information | 14,840 | 11.7% |
| Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | 8,580 | 6.8% |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 8,570 | 6.8% |
| Broadcasting and Content Providers | 5,710 | 4.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers | 11,400 | $64,190 |
| Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys | 23,880 | $45,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 12,460 | $65,480 |
| Home Health Aides | — | — |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film workforce.
Employment Over Time
24,460 Workforce in 2023
The Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$101,783 Average Wage
In 2023, Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film earned an average of $101,783.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Salary distribution for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Employment Growth Projections
1.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
22,553 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 6.3%
23,970 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 13.0%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Wage Trends by Industry
10.8% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 5,520 employees, $99,090 avg wage
- NY: 3,510 employees, $95,360 avg wage
- FL: 1,770 employees, $72,570 avg wage
- TX: 1,530 employees, $71,490 avg wage
- IL: 870 employees, $88,110 avg wage
- PA: 670 employees, $59,760 avg wage
- WA: 630 employees, $62,920 avg wage
- AZ: 630 employees, $95,300 avg wage
- VA: 510 employees, $67,660 avg wage
- OH: 500 employees, $71,870 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,790 employees, $106,170 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,170 employees, $95,240 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 760 employees, $94,790 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 680 employees, $88,920 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 640 employees, $87,180 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 620 employees, $76,160 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 530 employees, $71,160 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 510 employees, $61,660 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 470 employees, $91,220 avg wage
- Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 360 employees, $75,760 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Diversity
Demographic information on Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film in 2023 was 24,460 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film workers.
Education level distribution for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Skills
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Coordination, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film include English Language, Computers and Electronics, Communications and Media, Telecommunications, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film include Near Vision, Visualization, Far Vision, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Daily Activities
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film spend their time on activities such as Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
About
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
The average yearly wage for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film was $101,783 in 2023.
SOC Code
27-4031 - Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film reports an average salary of $101,783, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 24,460 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.