Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 56% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,044/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new camera operators, television, video, and films typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,614/month.

Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $55K here vs. $75K nationally.

Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -27%.

The median is $54,690 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,560, and experienced camera operators, television, video, and films can clear $55,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,650/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,044/month, which eats 56% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median camera operators, television, video, and film salary is worth about $54,690 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.