Camera operators, television, video, and film
SOC Code: 27-4031
Camera operators, television, video, and film carries a 39% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $68,810 and +1.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 36,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 39% AI exposure, Camera operators, television, video, and film sits 2 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 65% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
47/100
Camera operators, television, video, and film, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B- $68,810
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F +1.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 39% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Camera operators, television, video, and film in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Bachelor's band with mid-pack BLS pace
Camera operators, television, video, and film shares the Bachelor's gate with 178 peer occupations and lands in Slow growth (245 of 832). Neither the rarest nor the most crowded growth shelf - use wage and AI desks on this page for the differentiator.
Where Camera operators, television, video, and film sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Camera operators, television, video, and film sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
39% Around the middle lower than 35% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Camera operators, television, video, and film vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Camera operators, television, video, and film is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Camera operators, television, video, and film's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 27-4031) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Camera operators, television, video, and film be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Camera operators, television, video, and film. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 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.
- 2. Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
- 3. Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.
- 4. Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
- 5. Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
- 6. 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.
- 7. Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
- 8. Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
- 9. Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.
- 10. Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Time Management
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Communications and Media
- Telecommunications
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Customer and Personal Service
- Production and Processing
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Camera operators, television, video, and film?
Camera operators, television, video, and film has an AI exposure score of 39%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Camera operators, television, video, and film?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Camera operators, television, video, and film is projected to grow by 1.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 36,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Camera operators, television, video, and film?
Key skills for Camera operators, television, video, and film include Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Bachelor's degree.
How much do Camera operators, television, video, and film earn?
The median annual wage for Camera operators, television, video, and film is $68,810, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Camera operators, television, video, and film?
The typical entry-level education for Camera operators, television, video, and film is Bachelor's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Camera operators, television, video, and film?
Camera operators, television, video, and film roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Camera operators, television, video, and film: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (39% here).
- Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes · AI exposure 39%
- Art directors · AI exposure 39%
- Chefs and head cooks · AI exposure 39%
- Emergency management directors · AI exposure 39%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.2% here).
- Air traffic controllers · growth +1.2%
- Biological scientists, all other · growth +1.2%
- Economists · growth +1.2%
- Environmental engineering technologists and technicians · growth +1.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 26 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Camera operators, television, video, and film's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Camera operators, television, video, and film side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).