Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film Salary in St. Louis, MO-IL
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Films in St. Louis, MO-IL make a median of $70,060 a year, or about $33.69 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $129K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $73,678 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,218/month, or 26.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $70K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). 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.
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level camera operators, television, video, and films (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $129K or more, a $93K 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
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $102K | +48% | 5,520 |
| District of Columbia | $101K | +47% | 310 |
| Oregon | $94K | +36% | 290 |
| New York | $90K | +31% | 3,510 |
| New Jersey | $86K | +24% | 440 |
| Illinois | $83K | +21% | 870 |
| Arizona | $75K | +9% | 630 |
| Virginia | $72K | +4% | 510 |
| Maryland | $68K | -2% | 270 |
| Ohio | $67K | -3% | 500 |
| Texas | $64K | -6% | 1,530 |
| Connecticut | $64K | -7% | 230 |
| North Carolina | $62K | -10% | 300 |
| Georgia | $62K | -11% | 340 |
| Nevada | $61K | -11% | 410 |
| Florida | $61K | -11% | 1,770 |
| South Carolina | $60K | -13% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -14% | 270 |
| Missouri | $58K | -16% | 220 |
| Idaho | $57K | -17% | N/A |
| Indiana | $57K | -17% | 190 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -18% | 440 |
| Mississippi | $56K | -19% | N/A |
| Minnesota | $55K | -20% | 300 |
| Michigan | $55K | -20% | 440 |
| Washington | $53K | -22% | 630 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -26% | 670 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | -28% | 440 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -29% | 70 |
| North Dakota | $48K | -30% | 50 |
| Vermont | $48K | -30% | 110 |
| Iowa | $48K | -30% | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -32% | 320 |
| Utah | $47K | -32% | 400 |
| Kansas | $46K | -32% | 120 |
| New Mexico | $46K | -33% | 420 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -33% | 120 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -34% | 250 |
| Alabama | $45K | -34% | 120 |
| Hawaii | $42K | -39% | 110 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -43% | 70 |
| South Dakota | $39K | -43% | 50 |
| Nebraska | $39K | -43% | 110 |
| Maine | $36K | -48% | 70 |
| Montana | $35K | -49% | 130 |
| Arkansas | $33K | -53% | 90 |
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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do camera operators, television, video, and films make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $70,060 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,780, and experienced camera operators, television, video, and films can clear $128,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,594/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 26.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a camera operators, television, video, and film salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (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 $73,678 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.