Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Films in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX make a median of $64,380 a year, or about $30.95 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $62,450 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,931/month, about 43.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $64K actually covers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About camera operators, television, video, and films
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What this looks like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Pay for camera operators, television, video, and film in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,931/month, which is 43.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for camera operators, television, video, and film.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for camera operators, television, video, and films in metros near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $63K | $64K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $75K | $76K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $64K | $68K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $62K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level camera operators, television, video, and films (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $57K spread from bottom to top.
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $107K | +43% | 4,700 |
| Illinois | $100K | +34% | 1,060 |
| District of Columbia | $98K | +31% | 240 |
| New York | $93K | +25% | 2,930 |
| Georgia | $85K | +13% | 570 |
| Alaska | $84K | +12% | 50 |
| Colorado | $75K | +0% | 300 |
| Utah | $73K | -2% | 240 |
| Arizona | $68K | -9% | 520 |
| Maryland | $66K | -12% | 290 |
| Connecticut | $66K | -12% | 170 |
| Ohio | $65K | -14% | 520 |
| Texas | $63K | -16% | 1,100 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -16% | 380 |
| Florida | $62K | -17% | 970 |
| Nevada | $62K | -17% | 320 |
| Alabama | $62K | -18% | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $61K | -18% | 370 |
| Kansas | $61K | -19% | 110 |
| Washington | $60K | -20% | 440 |
| Virginia | $58K | -22% | 420 |
| Louisiana | $58K | -22% | 270 |
| Idaho | $58K | -22% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -23% | 40 |
| Iowa | $57K | -24% | 90 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -24% | 460 |
| Indiana | $57K | -24% | 200 |
| Michigan | $55K | -26% | 380 |
| Kentucky | $54K | -28% | 170 |
| North Dakota | $54K | -28% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $53K | -30% | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $52K | -31% | 670 |
| Minnesota | $51K | -31% | 300 |
| Montana | $51K | -32% | 110 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -33% | 60 |
| Rhode Island | $50K | -34% | 50 |
| New Mexico | $49K | -35% | 290 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -35% | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -35% | 220 |
| Vermont | $46K | -38% | 130 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -38% | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | -39% | N/A |
| Hawaii | $44K | -41% | 90 |
| South Dakota | $44K | -41% | 50 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -42% | 60 |
| Maine | $38K | -50% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track camera operators, television, video, and film salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a camera operators, television, video, and film afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 43.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for camera operators, television, video, and films in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new camera operators, television, video, and films typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,180/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is camera operators, television, video, and film a high-paying job in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $64K here vs. $75K nationally.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for camera operators, television, video, and films?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do camera operators, television, video, and films make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $64,380 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,950, and experienced camera operators, television, video, and films can clear $101,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,473/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 43.2% 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.
How far does a camera operators, television, video, and film salary go in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median camera operators, television, video, and film salary is worth about $62,450 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do camera operators, television, video, and films get paid the most?
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.