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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

27-4031 Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.


National estimates for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Industry profile for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Geographic profile for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

National estimates for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
20,340 3.8 % $ 32.50 $ 67,590 2.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.01 $ 19.01 $ 27.50 $ 39.22 $ 59.24
Annual Wage (2) $ 29,140 $ 39,550 $ 57,200 $ 81,580 $ 123,220


Industry profile for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Motion Picture and Video Industries 7,570 2.30 $ 38.90 $ 80,920
Radio and Television Broadcasting 5,260 2.59 $ 29.94 $ 62,280
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 810 1.61 $ 32.36 $ 67,310
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 700 0.10 $ 21.44 $ 44,590
Employment Services 600 0.02 $ 29.75 $ 61,880

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Radio and Television Broadcasting 5,260 2.59 $ 29.94 $ 62,280
Motion Picture and Video Industries 7,570 2.30 $ 38.90 $ 80,920
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 810 1.61 $ 32.36 $ 67,310
Spectator Sports 390 0.35 $ 27.19 $ 56,560
Other Information Services 440 0.13 $ 31.35 $ 65,220

Top paying industries for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Performing Arts Companies 120 0.12 $ 77.32 $ 160,820
Motion Picture and Video Industries 7,570 2.30 $ 38.90 $ 80,920
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 50 0.10 $ 37.54 $ 78,090
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 290 0.01 $ 36.86 $ 76,660
Scientific Research and Development Services 70 0.01 $ 34.31 $ 71,370


Geographic profile for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 3,700 0.23 1.54 $ 38.58 $ 80,240
New York 3,180 0.37 2.50 $ 52.55 $ 109,310
Georgia 1,110 0.26 1.76 $ 27.84 $ 57,900
Texas 930 0.08 0.53 $ 24.90 $ 51,790
Florida 920 0.11 0.75 $ 23.97 $ 49,860




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 440 0.64 4.40 $ 33.86 $ 70,440
New York 3,180 0.37 2.50 $ 52.55 $ 109,310
Connecticut 460 0.30 2.04 (8) (8)
Vermont 80 0.28 1.92 $ 20.55 $ 42,750
Tennessee 810 0.28 1.90 $ 26.81 $ 55,760




Top paying states for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 3,180 0.37 2.50 $ 52.55 $ 109,310
California 3,700 0.23 1.54 $ 38.58 $ 80,240
New Jersey 550 0.14 0.99 $ 34.91 $ 72,620
District of Columbia 440 0.64 4.40 $ 33.86 $ 70,440
Maryland 200 0.08 0.54 $ 31.86 $ 66,270





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,340 0.38 2.58 $ 51.54 $ 107,200
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,790 0.48 3.28 $ 41.63 $ 86,580
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 990 0.38 2.58 $ 27.96 $ 58,150
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 680 0.22 1.53 $ 33.51 $ 69,710
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 620 0.64 4.36 $ 28.99 $ 60,290
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 440 0.21 1.42 $ 25.38 $ 52,800
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 390 0.34 2.31 $ 31.28 $ 65,050
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 370 0.14 0.94 $ 30.32 $ 63,060
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 360 0.14 0.93 $ 20.13 $ 41,870
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 350 0.14 0.97 $ 27.06 $ 56,280




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wheeling, WV-OH 60 0.99 6.80 $ 16.33 $ 33,960
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 620 0.64 4.36 $ 28.99 $ 60,290
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,790 0.48 3.28 $ 41.63 $ 86,580
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 50 0.44 2.98 $ 21.67 $ 45,070
Charleston, WV 40 0.39 2.63 $ 15.17 $ 31,550
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,340 0.38 2.58 $ 51.54 $ 107,200
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 990 0.38 2.58 $ 27.96 $ 58,150
Tulsa, OK 150 0.35 2.40 $ 19.38 $ 40,300
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 390 0.34 2.31 $ 31.28 $ 65,050
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 100 0.29 2.00 $ 23.77 $ 49,440




Top paying metropolitan areas for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,340 0.38 2.58 $ 51.54 $ 107,200
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,790 0.48 3.28 $ 41.63 $ 86,580
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 130 0.06 0.44 $ 33.89 $ 70,500
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 680 0.22 1.53 $ 33.51 $ 69,710
Oklahoma City, OK 140 0.23 1.58 $ 33.17 $ 68,990
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 80 0.06 0.40 $ 31.66 $ 65,850
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 390 0.34 2.31 $ 31.28 $ 65,050
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 160 0.15 0.99 $ 30.80 $ 64,070
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 370 0.14 0.94 $ 30.32 $ 63,060
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 160 0.12 0.84 $ 29.40 $ 61,150

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.27 1.82 (8) (8)

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.27 1.82 (8) (8)


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021