Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Films in Lexington-Fayette, KY make a median of $52,580 a year, or about $25.28 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $56,605 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 36.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $53K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). 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 Lexington-Fayette
Pay for camera operators, television, video, and film in Lexington-Fayette runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 36.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (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 Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $51K | $54K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $102K | $99K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $61K | $63K |
| Columbus | $73K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level camera operators, television, video, and films (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $33K 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
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track camera operators, television, video, and film salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a camera operators, television, video, and film afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 36.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/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 Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new camera operators, television, video, and films typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,744/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay runs 30% 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 Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for camera operators, television, video, and films?
Lexington-Fayette pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do camera operators, television, video, and films make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $52,580 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,730, and experienced camera operators, television, video, and films can clear $78,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,515/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 36.2% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (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 $56,605 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.