Camera Operator job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

8

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$74,990

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film (O*NET-SOC 27-4031.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements. importance 4.3 of 5
6. Set up and perform live shots for broadcast. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted. importance 4.1 of 5
8. Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition. importance 4.1 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Thinking Creatively, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships and Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.
• Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
• Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.
• Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups.
• View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables.
• Direct studio productions.

Knowledge areas: English Language, Computers and Electronics, Communications and Media and Telecommunications.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, TikTok, Adobe Premiere Pro. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a camera operator.

Most camera operators surveyed by O*NET (61%) name an associate's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Camera Operator
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Camera Operator to operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- 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.
- Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, coordination and judgment and decision making
- Working knowledge of English Language and Computers and Electronics
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe After Effects or Adobe Creative Cloud software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $74,990 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $36.05. BLS estimates about 21,550 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of camera operators to grow 1.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full camera operator salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real camera operator posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only camera operator work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and coordination).