Best degree programs for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, ranked by enrollment
4 college programs and 376 schools train Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $74,990 median wage, 21,550 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
4 college programs at 376 schools train camera operators, television, video, and film, graduating 12,263 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Cinematography and Film/Video Production. The job pays a median of $74,990 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About camera operators, television, video, and film
Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
4 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 50.0602 | 9,799 | 79.9% | 287 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 2 | CIP 10.0202 | 1,488 | 12.1% | 84 | $21,634 | $20,000 |
| 3 | CIP 10.0299 | 841 | 6.9% | 17 | $21,634 | $20,000 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0607 | 135 | 1.1% | 13 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What camera operators, television, video, and film earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $106,900 | 4,700 | 1.86× | 52 | 2,155 |
| Florida | $62,220 | 970 | 0.71× | 26 | 1,818 |
| New York | $93,410 | 2,930 | 2.19× | 36 | 1,396 |
| Illinois | $100,170 | 1,060 | 1.25× | 10 | 626 |
| Massachusetts | $61,320 | 370 | 0.73× | 8 | 616 |
| Georgia | $85,050 | 570 | 0.84× | 15 | 590 |
| Texas | $63,110 | 1,100 | 0.57× | 12 | 481 |
| New Jersey | — | 750 | 1.26× | 12 | 356 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,760 | 670 | 0.79× | 13 | 355 |
| North Carolina | $62,720 | 380 | 0.55× | 14 | 340 |
| Arizona | $68,250 | 520 | 1.17× | 7 | 311 |
| Utah | $73,450 | 240 | 1.02× | 5 | 268 |
| Tennessee | $57,030 | 460 | 1.01× | 10 | 221 |
| Ohio | $64,860 | 520 | 0.68× | 11 | 194 |
| Virginia | $58,440 | 420 | 0.74× | 6 | 171 |
| Oklahoma | $48,620 | 220 | 0.94× | 11 | 159 |
| New Mexico | $49,050 | 290 | 2.40× | 8 | 154 |
| Michigan | $55,290 | 380 | 0.62× | 11 | 138 |
| Missouri | — | 170 | 0.41× | 8 | 127 |
| Montanalimited | $50,910 | 110 | 1.56× | 2 | 125 |
| Wisconsin | $52,810 | 300 | 0.73× | 7 | 124 |
| Colorado | $74,990 | 300 | 0.76× | 6 | 120 |
| South Carolinamoderate | $57,940 | 40 | 0.11× | 4 | 115 |
| Maryland | $65,870 | 290 | 0.77× | 8 | 106 |
| Louisianamoderate | $58,440 | 270 | 1.00× | 4 | 98 |
| Connecticutlimited | $65,630 | 170 | 0.72× | 2 | 76 |
| Minnesota | $51,420 | 300 | 0.73× | 9 | 73 |
| Oregon | — | 280 | 1.02× | 6 | 72 |
| Alabama | $61,800 | 220 | 0.75× | 5 | 64 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $53,790 | 170 | 0.63× | 4 | 60 |
| Iowa | $57,220 | 90 | 0.43× | 6 | 55 |
| Rhode Islandmoderate | $49,790 | 50 | 0.78× | 3 | 53 |
| Mississippimoderate | $49,920 | 60 | 0.37× | 4 | 49 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $48,680 | 60 | 0.34× | 4 | 46 |
| Indiana | $56,810 | 200 | 0.46× | 7 | 44 |
| Washingtonmoderate | $60,250 | 440 | 0.90× | 4 | 43 |
| Nebraskalimited | $46,180 | 100 | 0.68× | 1 | 28 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $45,880 | — | — | 1 | 26 |
| Nevadalimited | $62,110 | 320 | 1.49× | 1 | 23 |
| Mainelimited | $37,590 | 70 | 0.81× | 1 | 21 |
| District of Columbialimited | $98,300 | 240 | 2.51× | 1 | 17 |
| Kansaslimited | $60,690 | 110 | 0.56× | 1 | 14 |
| Vermontlimited | $46,350 | 130 | 3.08× | 2 | 8 |
| Idaholimited | $58,140 | 120 | 1.01× | 1 | 2 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
- Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
- Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
- 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.
- Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
- Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
- Set up and perform live shots for broadcast.
- Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
Skills
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Writing2.9
- Active Learning2.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
Knowledge areas
- English Language4.3
- Computers and Electronics4.0
- Communications and Media3.8
- Telecommunications3.8
- Engineering and Technology2.9
- Public Safety and Security2.8
Abilities
- Far Vision3.8
- Visualization3.8
- Near Vision3.8
- Problem Sensitivity3.6
- Oral Expression3.6
- Oral Comprehension3.5
Core activities
- Thinking Creatively4.6
- Getting Information4.6
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.6
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.4
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.4
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Camera Operator
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 4 majors mapped to Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 10.0202Radio and Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician
- 10.0299Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other
- 50.0602Cinematography and Film/Video Production
- 50.0607Documentary Production
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Camera Operator?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Cinematography and Film/Video Production, which awarded 9,799 degrees in 2024-25, 79.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Camera Operator?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 4 programs to this occupation. The largest are Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 12,263 people a year.
How much do camera operators, television, video, and film earn?+
The median is $74,990 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $38,520 at the 10th percentile to $135,180 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for camera operators, television, video, and film growing?+
BLS projects a +1.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 2,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
376 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 4 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do camera operators, television, video, and film work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Cameraman, Videographer, Camera Operator, Television News Photographer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-4031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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