Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film pay in the U.S.
$83,210avg. a year
$40.01 an hour · 21,550 employed
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film in the U.S. earn an average of $83,210 a year and a median of $74,990. Pay is highest in California ($106,350) and lowest in Montana ($47,260).
$74,990Median pay
$40.01Average hourly
+23%Avg. pay since 2020
21,550Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for camera operators, television, video, and film
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
14,700 jobs
California
$106,350
$51.13 an hour
2240 jobs
District of Columbia
$100,990
$48.56 an hour
32,930 jobs
New York
$99,080
$47.63 an hour
4570 jobs
Georgia
$97,600
$46.93 an hour
51,060 jobs
Illinois
$96,520
$46.41 an hour
6520 jobs
Arizona
$94,680
$45.52 an hour
7300 jobs
Colorado
$81,310
$39.09 an hour
8370 jobs
Massachusetts
$79,290
$38.12 an hour
9240 jobs
Utah
$75,460
$36.28 an hour
10440 jobs
Washington
$73,900
$35.53 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $56k$56k–$64k$64k–$71k$71k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $109,940 | $52.86 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $103,230 | $49.63 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $96,860 | $46.57 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $95,720 | $46.02 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $95,470 | $45.90 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $95,180 | $45.76 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $88,700 | $42.65 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $82,660 | $39.74 |
Related jobs
- Audio and Video Technicians$64,630
- Photographers$55,410
- Film and Video Editors$86,130
- Broadcast Technicians$67,960
- Sound Engineering Technicians$81,390
- Media and Communication Equipment Workers, All Other$81,040
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,130 | $61,800 | 220 |
| Alaska | $69,770 | $83,620 | 50 |
| Arizona | $94,680 | $68,250 | 520 |
| Arkansas | $55,740 | $48,680 | 60 |
| California | $106,350 | $106,900 | 4,700 |
| Colorado | $81,310 | $74,990 | 300 |
| Connecticut | $67,680 | $65,630 | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $100,990 | $98,300 | 240 |
| Florida | $71,320 | $62,220 | 970 |
| Georgia | $97,600 | $85,050 | 570 |
| Hawaii | $48,830 | $44,230 | 90 |
| Idaho | $60,460 | $58,140 | 120 |
| Illinois | $96,520 | $100,170 | 1,060 |
| Indiana | $57,550 | $56,810 | 200 |
| Iowa | $58,250 | $57,220 | 90 |
| Kansas | $63,870 | $60,690 | 110 |
| Kentucky | $55,460 | $53,790 | 170 |
| Louisiana | $61,710 | $58,440 | 270 |
| Maine | $58,270 | $37,590 | 70 |
| Maryland | $70,570 | $65,870 | 290 |
| Massachusetts | $79,290 | $61,320 | 370 |
| Michigan | $58,780 | $55,290 | 380 |
| Minnesota | $66,800 | $51,420 | 300 |
| Mississippi | $55,450 | $49,920 | 60 |
| Montana | $47,260 | $50,910 | 110 |
| Nebraska | $47,990 | $46,180 | 100 |
| Nevada | $67,540 | $62,110 | 320 |
| New Hampshire | $51,780 | $45,880 | – |
| New Mexico | $57,300 | $49,050 | 290 |
| New York | $99,080 | $93,410 | 2,930 |
| North Carolina | $68,820 | $62,720 | 380 |
| North Dakota | $56,930 | $53,650 | 40 |
| Ohio | $68,690 | $64,860 | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $57,800 | $48,620 | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $53,660 | $51,760 | 670 |
| Rhode Island | $55,880 | $49,790 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $58,850 | $57,940 | 40 |
| South Dakota | $50,620 | $44,160 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $67,350 | $57,030 | 460 |
| Texas | $66,720 | $63,110 | 1,100 |
| Utah | $75,460 | $73,450 | 240 |
| Vermont | $64,740 | $46,350 | 130 |
| Virginia | $66,460 | $58,440 | 420 |
| Washington | $73,900 | $60,250 | 440 |
| West Virginia | $50,280 | $43,390 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $55,880 | $52,810 | 300 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$109,940
3,540 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$95,180
3,000 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$95,720
740 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$88,700
500 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$96,860
360 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$95,470
350 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$69,340
330 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$75,590
320 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do camera operators, television, video, and film make?
The average is $83,210 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $74,990 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $40.01, and the median is $36.05 an hour.
Which state pays camera operators, television, video, and film the most?
California, with an average of $106,350 a year. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $109,940.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $38,520 a year, and the top 10% earn over $135,180.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-4031. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.