Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Films in Pennsylvania make a median of $51,760 a year, or about $24.88 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $54,501 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 39% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $52K get you in Pennsylvania?
About camera operators, television, video, and films
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pay for camera operators, television, video, and film in Pennsylvania runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $75K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 38.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level camera operators, television, video, and films (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $74K spread from bottom to top.
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film salary by metro in Pennsylvania
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $55K | +6% | 70 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $52K | +1% | 300 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $40K | -23% | 60 |
| Pittsburgh | $39K | -25% | 130 |
Compare to other states
Track camera operators, television, video, and film salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a camera operators, television, video, and film afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 38.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new camera operators, television, video, and films typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,295/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 104% 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 Pennsylvania?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $52K here vs. $75K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for camera operators, television, video, and films?
Pennsylvania pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — below the national median.
How much do camera operators, television, video, and films make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $51,760 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,580, and experienced camera operators, television, video, and films can clear $95,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,503/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 38.6% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $54,501 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.