Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Also called: Camera Operator, Cameraman, Television News Photographer, VideographerOperate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 1.3% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Television, video, and film camera operators and editors”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in information, which employs about 59% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,800 | $45,100 to $65,530 | 220 |
| Alaska | $83,620 | $55,290 to $83,620 | 50 |
| Arizona | $68,250 | $50,990 to $151,130 | 520 |
| Arkansas | $48,680 | $33,560 to $73,240 | 60 |
| California | $106,900 | $76,060 to $130,960 | 4,700 |
| Colorado | $74,990 | $65,470 to $78,280 | 300 |
| Connecticut | $65,630 | $52,720 to $84,010 | 170 |
| District of Columbia | $98,300 | $82,300 to $123,470 | 240 |
| Florida | $62,220 | $41,010 to $90,230 | 970 |
| Georgia | $85,050 | $48,900 to $130,960 | 570 |
| Hawaii | $44,230 | $30,880 to $70,170 | 90 |
| Idaho | $58,140 | $38,510 to $71,040 | 120 |
| Illinois | $100,170 | $69,900 to $126,860 | 1,060 |
| Indiana | $56,810 | $48,670 to $65,450 | 200 |
| Iowa | $57,220 | $45,280 to $75,000 | 90 |
| Kansas | $60,690 | $48,830 to $77,400 | 110 |
| Kentucky | $53,790 | $47,040 to $59,870 | 170 |
| Louisiana | $58,440 | $43,900 to $71,740 | 270 |
| Maine | $37,590 | $33,610 to $57,840 | 70 |
| Maryland | $65,870 | $48,330 to $76,720 | 290 |
| Massachusetts | $61,320 | $49,020 to $103,020 | 370 |
| Michigan | $55,290 | $45,720 to $67,560 | 380 |
| Minnesota | $51,420 | $37,620 to $92,410 | 300 |
| Mississippi | $49,920 | $39,340 to $75,730 | 60 |
| Missouri | not published | not published | 170 |
| Montana | $50,910 | $33,620 to $57,620 | 110 |
| Nebraska | $46,180 | $38,200 to $52,120 | 100 |
| Nevada | $62,110 | $40,910 to $88,460 | 320 |
| New Hampshire | $45,880 | $36,070 to $64,550 | not published |
| New Jersey | not published | not published | 750 |
| New Mexico | $49,050 | $49,040 to $54,310 | 290 |
| New York | $93,410 | $75,310 to $110,860 | 2,930 |
| North Carolina | $62,720 | $52,600 to $79,290 | 380 |
| North Dakota | $53,650 | $50,690 to $57,600 | 40 |
| Ohio | $64,860 | $47,730 to $82,390 | 520 |
| Oklahoma | $48,620 | $38,760 to $66,290 | 220 |
| Oregon | not published | not published | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,760 | $23,980 to $61,990 | 670 |
| Puerto Rico | $38,380 | $28,490 to $48,280 | 150 |
| Rhode Island | $49,790 | $43,040 to $65,040 | 50 |
| South Carolina | $57,940 | $46,120 to $71,070 | 40 |
| South Dakota | $44,160 | $39,380 to $72,910 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $57,030 | $50,180 to $65,190 | 460 |
| Texas | $63,110 | $44,950 to $78,670 | 1,100 |
| Utah | $73,450 | $56,990 to $99,540 | 240 |
| Vermont | $46,350 | $41,950 to $56,800 | 130 |
| Virginia | $58,440 | $45,820 to $79,530 | 420 |
| Washington | $60,250 | $44,120 to $105,250 | 440 |
| West Virginia | $43,390 | $36,130 to $62,830 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $52,810 | $40,370 to $63,780 | 300 |
Nationally: $74,990. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and perform live shots for broadcast. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting. | Not published |
| Not much | Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| Not much | Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming. | Not published |
| AI + software | Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Direct studio productions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups. | Not published |
| Not much | Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming. | Not published |
| AI alone | Write new scripts for broadcasts. | 0.03% |
| AI + software | View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables. | Not published |
| AI + software | Stay current with new technologies in the field by reading trade magazines. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and operate electric news gathering (ENG) microwave vehicles to gather and edit raw footage on location to send to television affiliates for broadcast. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design graphics for studio productions. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 15 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
- #23 Prepare informational or instructional materials
- and 4 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set up equipment | |||
| Operate audiovisual or related equipment | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Operate communications equipment or systems | |||
| Coordinate artistic or entertainment activities | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials |
Show all 15 activities
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Research technology designs or applications | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Alter audio or video recordings | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report30%
- A video or animation20%
- Marketing or social media content19%
- Creative writing8%
- A presentation or slides3%
How they worked with Claude
71% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for camera operators, television, video, and film specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 33,354 moves out
- 1 Producers and Directors High +4.0% 7%
- 2 Editors Very high -1.1% 6%
- 3 Audio and Video Technicians High +3.9% 4%
- 4 Photographers High -0.7% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 28,980 moves in
- 1 Producers and Directors High +4.0% 6%
- 2 Editors Very high -1.1% 6%
- 3 Audio and Video Technicians High +3.9% 5%
- 4 Photographers High -0.7% 4%
- 5 Broadcast Technicians High -3.1% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 18% high school
- 15% some college
- 61% associate's
- 7% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 20 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 9% high school
- 17% some college
- 9% associate's
- 55% bachelor's
- 8% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Television, video, and film camera operators and editors” · 1,298 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Television, video, and film camera operators and editors”
4 programs, such as Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other and Cinematography and Film/Video Production.
See all
- Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production
- Documentary Production
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (CAMERA OPERATOR). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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