Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Films in South Dakota make a median of $44,160 a year, or about $21.23 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $49,127 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,017/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of South Dakota. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $44K actually covers in South Dakota, month by month
About camera operators, television, video, and films
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Pay for camera operators, television, video, and film in South Dakota runs about 41% below the U.S. median of $75K. Rent runs $1,017/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Dakota
Entry-level camera operators, television, video, and films (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
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Track camera operators, television, video, and film salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when South Dakota 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 South Dakota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 32.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,017/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new camera operators, television, video, and films typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,104/month. At HUD’s $1,017/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 South Dakota?
Local pay runs 41% below the national median — $44K here vs. $75K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for camera operators, television, video, and films?
South Dakota pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s -41%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do camera operators, television, video, and films make in South Dakota?
The median is $44,160 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,880, and experienced camera operators, television, video, and films can clear $77,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,127/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 32.5% 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 South Dakota?
South Dakota has a Regional Price Parity of 89.89 (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 $49,127 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.