Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Films in Knoxville, TN make a median of $53,180 a year, or about $25.57 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.57), which stretches that salary to about $57,448 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,471/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $53K get you in Knoxville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Knoxville’s Regional Price Parity (92.57). 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 Knoxville
Pay for camera operators, television, video, and film in Knoxville runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,471/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.57 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for camera operators, television, video, and films.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for camera operators, television, video, and films in metros near Knoxville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $61K | $63K |
| Memphis | $49K | $53K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $64K | $66K |
| Huntsville | $66K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Knoxville, TN
Entry-level camera operators, television, video, and films (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $42K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Knoxville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a camera operators, television, video, and film afford a 2BR apartment alone in Knoxville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,471/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.
What’s the entry-level salary for camera operators, television, video, and films in Knoxville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new camera operators, television, video, and films typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,376/month. At HUD’s $1,471/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Knoxville?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $53K here vs. $75K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Knoxville compare to the national average for camera operators, television, video, and films?
Knoxville pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do camera operators, television, video, and films make in Knoxville, TN?
The median is $53,180 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,600, and experienced camera operators, television, video, and films can clear $81,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Knoxville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,731/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,471/month, which eats 39.4% 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 Knoxville?
Knoxville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median camera operators, television, video, and film salary is worth about $57,448 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.