| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 99 (%) | Description: Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Set up and perform live shots for broadcast. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition. |
| Importance: 90 (%) | Description: 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: 89 (%) | Description: Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: 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. |
Photography Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Photography Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For visually creative people who want to understand the business side of a photography career, not just the craft. Use the tools below to see which photography roles fit your background and goals.
Photography careers split between commercial/technical work (product, event) and fine-art/editorial work, each with different business models. Use the tools below to explore Photography-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Photography Assistant, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Professional Photographer or Studio Owner. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as None formally required; portfolio-driven field, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Photography careers/jobs, (2) Find Photography job listings, (3) Prepare for Photography careers, and (4) Provide Photography career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Photography careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Photography Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Photography careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Photography, so relevant Photography jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Photography Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Photography Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Photography careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 97 Photography Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
13 Photography careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Photography-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Photography-Related Jobs |
15 Photography careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Photography-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Photography-Related Jobs |
16 Photography careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Photography-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Photography-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 97 specific Photography job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Description: Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
30,300U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
37,600
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
7,300 (24.1%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
3,900
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Stay current with new technologies in the field by reading trade magazines. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Direct studio productions. |
| Importance: 59 (%) | Description: Write new scripts for broadcasts. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Description: Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. |
| Importance: 56 (%) | Description: Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups. |
| Importance: 51 (%) | Description: View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables. |
| Importance: 50 (%) | Description: Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming. |
| Importance: 48 (%) | Description: 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. |
| Importance: 40 (%) | Description: Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects. |
| Importance: 39 (%) | Description: Design graphics for studio productions. |
| Importance: 35 (%) | Description: Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 91 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Working with Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Collaborate with others to determine technical details of productions. | |
| Coordinate activities of production personnel. | |
| Create computer-generated graphics or animation. | |
| Determine technical requirements of productions or projects. | |
| Direct productions or performances. | |
| Edit audio or video recordings. | |
| Inspect sets or exhibits. | |
| Maintain recording or broadcasting equipment. | |
| Manage content of broadcasts or presentations. | |
| Operate communications, transmissions, or broadcasting equipment. | |
| Operate still or video cameras or related equipment. | |
| Research new technologies. | |
| Review details of technical drawings or specifications. | |
| Select materials or props. | |
| Set up still or video cameras or related equipment. | |
| Write informational material. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Telecommunications: Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Alter audio or video recordings. |
| Activity: Communicate with others about specifications or project details. |
| Activity: Coordinate artistic or entertainment activities. |
| Activity: Create visual designs or displays. |
| Activity: Determine operational methods or procedures. |
| Activity: Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures. |
| Activity: Inspect completed work or finished products. |
| Activity: Maintain electronic, computer, or other technical equipment. |
| Activity: Operate audiovisual or related equipment. |
| Activity: Operate communications equipment or systems. |
| Activity: Prepare informational or instructional materials. |
| Activity: Read documents or materials to inform work processes. |
| Activity: Research technology designs or applications. |
| Activity: Select materials or equipment for operations or projects. |
| Activity: Set up equipment. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| High-Priority Tech Skills |
| Graphics or photo imaging software: |
| Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop |
| Video creation and editing software: |
| Adobe After Effects TikTok |
| Widely Used Tech Skills |
| Video creation and editing software: |
| Adobe Premiere Pro Apple Final Cut Pro Video editing software |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Desktop publishing software: |
| Adobe InDesign |
| Document management software: |
| Adobe Acrobat |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software: |
| Microsoft Word |
| General Software Tools |
| Analytical or scientific software: |
| Litchi Pix4D Pix4Dcapture |
| Cloud-based data access and sharing software: |
| Google Drive |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Email software |
| Video creation and editing software: |
| Apple Final Cut Studio Avid Technology audio visual editing software DaVinci Resolve YouTube |
| Web page creation and editing software: |
| Adobe Dreamweaver |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| 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. |
| Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| 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. |
| These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 60.7 (%) | Level of Education: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 17.8 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 14.6 (%) | Level of Education: Some College Courses |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.9 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 30.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 20.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 18.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 17.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 10.4 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 2.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.3 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.3 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
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