Pay by state · 47 states
Camera Operator, Television, Video, and Film Salary by State (2026)
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film earn the most in California at $106,900 a year and the least in Maine at $37,590 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $74,990. All 47 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $106,900California
- National median
- $74,990BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $37,590Maine
- States reporting
- 47of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Camera Operator, Television, Video, and Film salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of camera operators, television, video, and film OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $106,900 | $76,060 | $130,960 | 4,700 | $96,550 |
| 2 | ILIllinois | $100,170 | $69,900 | $126,860 | 1,060 | $100,212 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $98,300 | $82,300 | $123,470 | 240 | $89,444 |
| 4 | NYNew York | $93,410 | $75,310 | $110,860 | 2,930 | $86,554 |
| 5 | GAGeorgia | $85,050 | $48,900 | $130,960 | 570 | $88,324 |
| 6 | AKAlaska | $83,620 | $55,290 | $83,620 | 50 | $81,693 |
| 7 | COColorado | $74,990 | $65,470 | $78,280 | 300 | $72,769 |
| 8 | UTUtah | $73,450 | $56,990 | $99,540 | 240 | $74,294 |
| 9 | AZArizona | $68,250 | $50,990 | $151,130 | 520 | $67,791 |
| 10 | MDMaryland | $65,870 | $48,330 | $76,720 | 290 | $62,758 |
| 11 | CTConnecticut | $65,630 | $52,720 | $84,010 | 170 | $63,343 |
| 12 | OHOhio | $64,860 | $47,730 | $82,390 | 520 | $69,912 |
| 13 | TXTexas | $63,110 | $44,950 | $78,670 | 1,100 | $65,024 |
| 14 | NCNorth Carolina | $62,720 | $52,600 | $79,290 | 380 | $66,493 |
| 15 | FLFlorida | $62,220 | $41,010 | $90,230 | 970 | $60,166 |
| 16 | NVNevada | $62,110 | $40,910 | $88,460 | 320 | $62,123 |
| 17 | ALAlabama | $61,800 | $45,100 | $65,530 | 220 | $69,577 |
| 18 | MAMassachusetts | $61,320 | $49,020 | $103,020 | 370 | $57,982 |
| 19 | KSKansas | $60,690 | $48,830 | $77,400 | 110 | $67,382 |
| 20 | WAWashington | $60,250 | $44,120 | $105,250 | 440 | $56,302 |
| 21 | LALouisiana | $58,440 | $43,900 | $71,740 | 270 | $66,253 |
| 22 | VAVirginia | $58,440 | $45,820 | $79,530 | 420 | $57,802 |
| 23 | IDIdaho | $58,140 | $38,510 | $71,040 | 120 | $60,883 |
| 24 | SCSouth Carolina | $57,940 | $46,120 | $71,070 | 40 | $61,803 |
| 25 | IAIowa | $57,220 | $45,280 | $75,000 | 90 | $65,199 |
| 26 | TNTennessee | $57,030 | $50,180 | $65,190 | 460 | $62,077 |
| 27 | INIndiana | $56,810 | $48,670 | $65,450 | 200 | $60,871 |
| 28 | MIMichigan | $55,290 | $45,720 | $67,560 | 380 | $57,464 |
| 29 | KYKentucky | $53,790 | $47,040 | $59,870 | 170 | $59,661 |
| 30 | NDNorth Dakota | $53,650 | $50,690 | $57,600 | 40 | $60,309 |
| 31 | WIWisconsin | $52,810 | $40,370 | $63,780 | 300 | $56,124 |
| 32 | PAPennsylvania | $51,760 | $23,980 | $61,990 | 670 | $53,048 |
| 33 | MNMinnesota | $51,420 | $37,620 | $92,410 | 300 | $52,139 |
| 34 | MTMontana | $50,910 | $33,620 | $57,620 | 110 | $53,790 |
| 35 | MSMississippi | $49,920 | $39,340 | $75,730 | 60 | $57,410 |
| 36 | RIRhode Island | $49,790 | $43,040 | $65,040 | 50 | $48,680 |
| 37 | NMNew Mexico | $49,050 | $49,040 | $54,310 | 290 | $53,193 |
| 38 | ARArkansas | $48,680 | $33,560 | $73,240 | 60 | $55,995 |
| 39 | OKOklahoma | $48,620 | $38,760 | $66,290 | 220 | $55,349 |
| 40 | VTVermont | $46,350 | $41,950 | $56,800 | 130 | $47,316 |
| 41 | NENebraska | $46,180 | $38,200 | $52,120 | 100 | $51,252 |
| 42 | NHNew Hampshire | $45,880 | $36,070 | $64,550 | N/A | $44,046 |
| 43 | HIHawaii | $44,230 | $30,880 | $70,170 | 90 | $40,227 |
| 44 | SDSouth Dakota | $44,160 | $39,380 | $72,910 | 50 | $49,850 |
| 45 | WVWest Virginia | $43,390 | $36,130 | $62,830 | 60 | $48,482 |
| 46 | PRPuerto Rico | $38,380 | $28,490 | $48,280 | 150 | N/A |
| 47 | MEMaine | $37,590 | $33,610 | $57,840 | 70 | $38,733 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $106,900, while Illinois leads once prices are taken into account at $100,212.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Camera Operator, Television, Video, and Film pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film at $106,900 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Illinois ($100,170) and District of Columbia ($98,300).
Which state pays Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film the least?
Maine reports the lowest median for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film at $37,590 a year, $69,310 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Illinois first at $100,212 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $100,170. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.