Press Ctrl + D to bookmark Job Salaries.
Open your browser menu (⋮ or the share icon) and tap Bookmark or Add to Home Screen.
Feedback on Job Salaries
How Much Does a Camera Operator, Television, Video, and Film Make?
A camera operator, television, video, and film in the US earns a median salary of $74,990 a year, or $36.05 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $83,210, and the middle half earn between $50,920 and $106,660.
Camera operator, television, video, and film pay range
What camera operators, television, video, and film earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $38,520 | $18.52 | |
| 25th | $50,920 | $24.48 | |
| Median (50th) | $74,990 | $36.05 | |
| 75th | $106,660 | $51.28 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $135,180 | $64.99 |
The median is 47% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 21,550 people work as camera operators, television, video, and film in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $1,442
- Every two weeks
- $2,884
- Twice a month
- $3,125
- A month
- $6,249
At the median salary, before tax.
Camera operator, television, video, and film salary by state
Sorted by average pay. California pays camera operators, television, video, and film the most, at $106,350 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $106,350 | $106,900 | 4,700 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $100,990 | $98,300 | 240 | After tax |
| New York | $99,080 | $93,410 | 2,930 | After tax |
| Georgia | $97,600 | $85,050 | 570 | After tax |
| Illinois | $96,520 | $100,170 | 1,060 | After tax |
| Arizona | $94,680 | $68,250 | 520 | After tax |
| Colorado | $81,310 | $74,990 | 300 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $79,290 | $61,320 | 370 | After tax |
| Utah | $75,460 | $73,450 | 240 | After tax |
| Washington | $73,900 | $60,250 | 440 | After tax |
| Florida | $71,320 | $62,220 | 970 | After tax |
| Maryland | $70,570 | $65,870 | 290 | After tax |
| Alaska | $69,770 | $83,620 | 50 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $68,820 | $62,720 | 380 | After tax |
| Ohio | $68,690 | $64,860 | 520 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $67,680 | $65,630 | 170 | After tax |
| Nevada | $67,540 | $62,110 | 320 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $67,350 | $57,030 | 460 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $66,800 | $51,420 | 300 | After tax |
| Texas | $66,720 | $63,110 | 1,100 | After tax |
| Virginia | $66,460 | $58,440 | 420 | After tax |
| Vermont | $64,740 | $46,350 | 130 | After tax |
| Kansas | $63,870 | $60,690 | 110 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $61,710 | $58,440 | 270 | After tax |
| Idaho | $60,460 | $58,140 | 120 | After tax |
| Alabama | $59,130 | $61,800 | 220 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $58,850 | $57,940 | 40 | After tax |
| Michigan | $58,780 | $55,290 | 380 | After tax |
| Maine | $58,270 | $37,590 | 70 | After tax |
| Iowa | $58,250 | $57,220 | 90 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $57,800 | $48,620 | 220 | After tax |
| Indiana | $57,550 | $56,810 | 200 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $57,300 | $49,050 | 290 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $56,930 | $53,650 | 40 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $55,880 | $49,790 | 50 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $55,880 | $52,810 | 300 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $55,740 | $48,680 | 60 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $55,460 | $53,790 | 170 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $55,450 | $49,920 | 60 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $53,660 | $51,760 | 670 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $51,780 | $45,880 | – | After tax |
| South Dakota | $50,620 | $44,160 | 50 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $50,280 | $43,390 | 60 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $48,830 | $44,230 | 90 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $47,990 | $46,180 | 100 | After tax |
| Montana | $47,260 | $50,910 | 110 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $38,440 | $38,380 | 150 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other arts, design, entertainment, sports and media jobs
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film” (SOC 27-4031). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a camera operator, television, video, and film make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a camera operator, television, video, and film is $36.05, and the average is $40.01. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $18.52 an hour and the top 10% over $64.99.
How much does a camera operator, television, video, and film make a month?
At the median salary of $74,990, a camera operator, television, video, and film earns about $6,249 a month before tax, or $2,884 every two weeks.
Which state pays camera operators, television, video, and film the most?
California has the highest average pay for a camera operator, television, video, and film, at $106,350 a year. Next are District of Columbia and New York. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a camera operator, television, video, and film?
The lowest-paid 10% of camera operators, television, video, and film earn less than $38,520 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $50,920. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid camera operators, television, video, and film make?
The top 10% earn more than $135,180 a year, and the top 25% more than $106,660.
Related tools
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Salary after tax in the UK, US (all states), Canada and Australia
Salary Converter
Hourly wage to monthly and yearly salary, and back
Minimum Wage by Country
Minimum wages per hour and month for 33 countries, in local money and US dollars
Percentage Calculator
Calculate percentages
BMI Calculator
Calculate BMI
Date Calculator
Days between dates, add days, and working days with holidays