Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 27-4031

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

The published band from $38,520 to $135,180 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Technical Writers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: Technical Writers ($90K) , Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners ($72K) , Writers and Authors ($77K) , Media and Communication Workers, All Other ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-4031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects s…
  2. 2. Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures
  3. 3. Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing
  4. 4. Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming
  5. 5. Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting
  6. 6. Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming…
  7. 7. Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions
  8. 8. Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements
  9. 9. Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming
  10. 10. Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and…
  11. 11. Set up and perform live shots for broadcast
  12. 12. Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-4031 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.8 ; lead knowledge English Language. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.8
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.3
  3. 3. Speaking 3.3
  4. 4. Coordination 3.3
  5. 5. Judgment and Decision Making 3.3
  6. 6. Critical Thinking 3.1
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.1
  8. 8. Social Perceptiveness 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 4.3
  2. 2. Computers and Electronics 4.0
  3. 3. Communications and Media 3.8
  4. 4. Telecommunications 3.8
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 2.9
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 2.8
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$38,520 to $135,180
median $74,990 · ~3.5× spread
$75K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
2,900
Annual openings
21,550
Estimated US jobs
Technical Writers
Highest-pay peer · $90K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Bachelor's degree

Top Paying States for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

1. California $106,900
2. Colorado $74,990
3. District of Columbia $98,300
4. Alaska $83,620
5. Utah $73,450
6. New York $93,410
7. Maryland $65,870
8. Arizona $68,250
9. Georgia $85,050
10. Illinois $100,170

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners $72,420
  2. 2. Writers and Authors $76,910
  3. 3. Technical Writers $90,390
  4. 4. Media and Communication Workers, All Other $73,620
  5. 5. Film and Video Editors $75,420
  6. 6. Set and Exhibit Designers $75,240

The OEWS band for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film runs from $38,520 (10th) to $135,180 (90th), about 3.5× wide, with median $74,990. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,900 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $106,900. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Technical Writers at $90,390. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film pay-rank #11 in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Among 36 detailed Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations with a published OEWS median, Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is pay-rank #11, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 27-4031 · national median $74,990 · upper third of Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations (#11/36). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 27-4031

California · top state for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

$107K published median

Colorado · #2 state pay

$75K · behind California

Technical Writers

Highest-pay peer vs Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film · $90K

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners

Lower-pay peer beside Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film · $72K

Compare Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles sit near Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film at the top of the pay table? ▼
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is pay-rank #11 of 36 detailed Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Public Relations Specialists ($75K), Set and Exhibit Designers ($75K), Film and Video Editors ($75K), Writers and Authors ($77K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do camera operators, television, video, and film do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. Leading ones include: Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects s…; Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for camera operators, television, video, and film? ▼
For SOC 27-4031, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.8), Reading Comprehension (3.3), Speaking (3.3), Coordination (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Computers and Electronics, Communications and Media. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $38,520 and the 90th at $135,180 for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film (3.5× spread). The national median is $74,990. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 2,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film? ▼
BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film? ▼
California ($106,900), Colorado ($74,990), District of Columbia ($98,300) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 27-4031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics