Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film pay in California

$106,350avg. a year
$51.13 an hour · 4,700 employed

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film in California earn an average of $106,350 a year. That is $23,140 (28%) more than the U.S. average of $83,210. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $109,940.

$106,900Median pay
$51.13Average hourly
+33%Avg. pay since 2020
#1Of 45 states + D.C.

Top-paying California metro areas

Average pay for camera operators, television, video, and film by metro area. Swipe to see all 6.

13,540 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$109,940
$52.86 an hour
2280 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$103,230
$49.63 an hour
340 jobs
Fresno, CA
$84,910
$40.82 an hour
450 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$81,290
$39.08 an hour
550 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$80,940
$38.91 an hour
6150 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$62,930
$30.25 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.
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Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film pay in California, charted

Pay over time

California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where California camera operators, television, video, and film work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $56k$56k–$64k$64k–$71k$71k+California

California vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$83,210$40.01
California$106,350$51.13
Arizona$94,680$45.52
Nevada$67,540$32.47

Average pay, California, May 2025

Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Questions and answers

How much do camera operators, television, video, and film make in California?

The average is $106,350 a year, and the median is $106,900. That is $23,140 (28%) more than the U.S. average of $83,210.

What is the hourly wage in California?

$51.13 an hour on average; the median is $51.39.

Where in California do they earn the most?

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($109,940), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($103,230). The lowest average among 6 metro areas with data is San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA ($62,930).

How does California rank?

California ranks #1 of 46 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

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. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national camera operators, television, video, and film page. 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.