Camera Operator Average Salary in United States 2024
How much money does a person working as Camera Operator make in United States?
LOW
28,700
USD AVERAGE
54,100
USD HIGH
82,200
USD
A person working as Camera Operator in United States typically earns around 54,100 USD. Salaries range from 28,700 USD (lowest) to 82,200 USD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Camera Operator salaries in United States vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Camera Operator Pay Scale and Salaries in United States
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
48,600 USD or more
43,400 to 48,600 USD
31,900 USD or less
31,900 to 43,400 USD
 28,700 USD |
48,700 USD |
82,200 USD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Camera Operator in United States range from 28,700 USD (starting salary) to 82,200 USD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 48,700 USD, half of the professionals who work as Camera Operator in United States earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Camera Operator in United States earn less than 40,600 USD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 55,200 USD while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Camera Operator in United States compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 31,900 USD to 43,400 USD. About 20% of salaries are below the 31,900 USD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 43,400 USD to 48,600 USD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 48,600 USD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Camera Operator / United States
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 32,900 USD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +23% | 40,400 USD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +42% | 57,300 USD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +17% | 66,900 USD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +10% | 73,600 USD |
| 20+ Years | +6% | 77,900 USD |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Camera Operator and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 32,900 USD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 40,400 USD, 23% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 57,300 USD, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 66,900 USD, 17% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 73,600 USD, 10% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 77,900 USD, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Camera Operator / United States
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Camera Operator.
| High School | 40,400 USD | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +40% | 56,500 USD |
| Bachelor's Degree | +42% | 80,000 USD |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Camera Operator in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: High School
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 40,400 USD.
Level 2: Certificate or Diploma
At this level, the average salary becomes 56,500 USD, 40% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 80,000 USD, 42% more than the previous level.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Camera Operator / United States
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Camera Operator in United States, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 6%.
| Male | 55,400 USD | |
| Female | -5% | 52,500 USD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Camera Operator / United States
How much are annual salary increments in United States for individuals working as Camera Operator? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Camera Operator in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 11% every 15 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
United States / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Camera Operator / United States
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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73% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 27% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 1% to 3% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 27% | |
| No Bonus | 73% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Camera Operator / United States
26 USD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Camera Operator in United States is 26 USD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Camera Operator in United States is 14 USD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Media / Broadcasting / Arts / Entertainment |  -100% | |
| 3D Artist | 86,000 USD |  +59% |
| 3D Designer | 84,700 USD | +57% |
| 3D Generalist | 70,000 USD | +29% |
| 3D Visualization Specialist | 89,000 USD | +65% |
| Acrobatic Rigger | 57,000 USD | +5% |
| Actor | 115,000 USD | +110% |
| Art Administrator | 95,600 USD | +77% |
| Art Director | 117,000 USD | +120% |
| Art Lead | 114,000 USD | +110% |
| Artificial Intelligence Generated Art Creator | 81,200 USD | +50% |
| Associate Media Director | 102,000 USD | +89% |
| Associate Producer | 121,000 USD | +120% |
| Broadcast and Sound Engineer | 74,100 USD | +37% |
| Broadcast Associate | 63,400 USD | +17% |
| Broadcast News Analyst | 91,900 USD | +70% |
| Broadcast Technician | 50,900 USD | -6% |
| Broadcasting Journalist | 107,000 USD | +98% |
| Broadcasting Presenter | 107,000 USD | +98% |
| Camera Equipment Repairer | 61,100 USD | +13% |
| Camera Operator | 54,100 USD | +0% |
| Cartoonist / Animator | 81,500 USD | +51% |
| CAS Engineer | 92,800 USD | +72% |
| Censorship Executive | 101,000 USD | +87% |
| Chief Social Media Officer | 147,000 USD | +170% |
| Choreographer | 74,800 USD | +38% |
| Colorist | 45,100 USD | -17% |
| Communications Manager | 132,000 USD | +140% |
| Content Moderator | 71,700 USD | +33% |
| Correspondent | 100,000 USD | +85% |
| Dance Director | 90,600 USD | +68% |
| Dancer | 74,900 USD | +39% |
| Digital Content Manager | 127,000 USD | +130% |
| Digital Music Promoter | 107,000 USD | +98% |
| Director of Photography | 95,000 USD | +76% |
| Disc Jockey | 58,300 USD | +8% |
| Drone Cinematographer | 82,500 USD | +53% |
| Editorial Assistant | 46,900 USD | -13% |
| Events Manager | 92,500 USD | +71% |
| Graphic Designer | 63,000 USD | +17% |
| Illustrator | 69,200 USD | +28% |
| Industrial Designer | 57,300 USD | +6% |
| Influencer Marketing Manager | 122,000 USD | +130% |
| Influencer Outreach Specialist | 88,800 USD | +64% |
| Instructional Designer | 55,900 USD | +3% |
| Internet Community Manager | 79,800 USD | +48% |
| Internet Radio Producer | 136,000 USD | +150% |
| Journalist | 110,000 USD | +100% |
| Live Streaming Moderator | 71,300 USD | +32% |
| Live Streaming Producer | 110,000 USD | +100% |
| Live Streaming Specialist | 87,300 USD | +61% |
| Makeup Artist | 56,800 USD | +5% |
| Media Design Manager | 150,000 USD | +180% |
| Media Equipment Operator | 50,400 USD | -7% |
| Media Operations Manager | 123,000 USD | +130% |
| Media Planner | 78,600 USD | +45% |
| Media Producer | 110,000 USD | +100% |
| Media Product Development Manager | 154,000 USD | +180% |
| Media Production Manager | 154,000 USD | +180% |
| Media Program Director | 161,000 USD | +200% |
| Media Relation Executive | 161,000 USD | +200% |
| Media Relations Manager | 157,000 USD | +190% |
| Media Sales Manager | 169,000 USD | +210% |
| Movement and Dance Coordinator | 90,400 USD | +67% |
| Multimedia Coordinator | 62,400 USD | +15% |
| Multimedia Designer | 58,100 USD | +7% |
| Music Consultant | 76,600 USD | +42% |
| Music Producer | 127,000 USD | +130% |
| Musician | 65,600 USD | +21% |
| News Associate | 78,100 USD | +44% |
| News Reporter | 106,000 USD | +96% |
| Online Community Moderator | 76,500 USD | +42% |
| Podcast Advertising Specialist | 80,900 USD | +50% |
| Podcast Producer | 87,800 USD | +62% |
| Post Production Assistant | 52,300 USD | -3% |
| Producer | 141,000 USD | +160% |
| Product Designer | 61,300 USD | +13% |
| Product Planner | 75,200 USD | +39% |
| Production Artist | 76,600 USD | +42% |
| Production Assistant | 54,200 USD | +0% |
| Production Director | 128,000 USD | +140% |
| Production Technician | 54,300 USD | +0% |
| Program Researcher | 93,700 USD | +73% |
| Promotion Coordinator | 71,700 USD | +33% |
| Social Media Compliance Manager | 95,900 USD | +77% |
| Social Media Compliance Officer | 84,700 USD | +57% |
| Sound Engineer | 74,300 USD | +37% |
| Sound Engineering Technician | 45,900 USD | -15% |
| Stage Technician | 44,400 USD | -18% |
| Sub Editor | 53,200 USD | -2% |
| Television Executive Producer | 172,000 USD | +220% |
| Transmission Engineer | 87,100 USD | +61% |
| Video Editor | 65,800 USD | +22% |
| Video Producer | 82,200 USD | +52% |
| Videographer | 79,700 USD | +47% |
| Virtual / Augmented Reality Content Creator | 132,000 USD | +140% |
| Virtual Set Designer | 97,600 USD | +81% |
| Virtual Staging Specialist | 93,800 USD | +74% |
| Visual Designer | 80,100 USD | +48% |
| Visual Effects Artist | 89,300 USD | +65% |
| Voiceover Artist | 74,800 USD | +38% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Boston | 54,300 USD |
| Chicago | 62,600 USD |
| Houston | 65,900 USD |
| Las Vegas | 55,600 USD |
| Los Angeles | 62,600 USD |
| New York | 68,300 USD |
| San Francisco | 60,800 USD |
| San Jose | 61,100 USD |
Salary Comparison By State
| State | Average Salary |
| Alabama | 57,700 USD |
| Alaska | 51,500 USD |
| Arizona | 56,700 USD |
| Arkansas | 53,600 USD |
| California | 62,600 USD |
| Colorado | 57,700 USD |
| Connecticut | 51,800 USD |
| Delaware | 49,200 USD |
| District of Columbia | 49,200 USD |
| Florida | 62,600 USD |
| Georgia | 62,800 USD |
| Hawaii | 49,700 USD |
| Idaho | 50,800 USD |
| Illinois | 61,300 USD |
| Indiana | 59,900 USD |
| Iowa | 51,200 USD |
| Kansas | 52,300 USD |
| Kentucky | 55,200 USD |
| Louisiana | 56,400 USD |
| Maine | 53,000 USD |
| Maryland | 55,400 USD |
| Massachusetts | 56,700 USD |
| Michigan | 60,100 USD |
| Minnesota | 58,100 USD |
| Mississippi | 50,500 USD |
| Missouri | 55,400 USD |
| Montana | 50,100 USD |
| Nebraska | 52,900 USD |
| Nevada | 55,200 USD |
| New Hampshire | 49,000 USD |
| New Jersey | 58,200 USD |
| New Mexico | 52,800 USD |
| New York | 63,000 USD |
| North Carolina | 56,700 USD |
| North Dakota | 47,300 USD |
| Ohio | 59,800 USD |
| Oklahoma | 55,600 USD |
| Oregon | 56,800 USD |
| Pennsylvania | 58,300 USD |
| Rhode Island | 48,900 USD |
| South Carolina | 56,000 USD |
| South Dakota | 51,100 USD |
| Tennessee | 60,800 USD |
| Texas | 60,000 USD |
| Utah | 52,100 USD |
| Vermont | 49,400 USD |
| Virginia | 61,200 USD |
| Washington | 56,100 USD |
| West Virginia | 50,900 USD |
| Wisconsin | 57,000 USD |
| Wyoming | 49,300 USD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in United States is 5% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 92,800 USD | |
| Public Sector | +5% | 97,500 USD |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Camera Operator in United States?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 48,700 USD and 55,200 USD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Camera Operator in United States ranges from 28,700 USD to 40,600 USD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
