Also called: Camera Operators
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film build coordination, judgment and decision making and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Media Technical Directors/Managers (70%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media Technical Directors/Managers | 70% | $90,360Pay for the broader BLS group “Producers and Directors” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 2 | Avionics Technicians | 61% | $82,280 | +10% | None |
| 3 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | 57% | $106,730 | +42% | None |
| 4 | Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | 57% | $62,750 | −16% | None |
| 5 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 56% | $68,840 | −8% | None |
| 6 | Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 56% | $74,510 | −1% | None |
| 7 | Special Effects Artists and Animators | 56% | $102,030 | +36% | Bachelor's degree |
| 8 | Prepress Technicians and Workers | 55% | $48,690 | −35% | None |
| 9 | Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | 55% | $55,490 | −26% | None |
| 10 | Aviation Inspectors | 55% | $92,100Pay for the broader BLS group “Transportation Inspectors” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, median $74,990. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as camera operators, television, video, and film (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
70% skill match · $90,360 (broader BLS group)
Systems Evaluation · Systems Analysis · Coordination
61% skill match · $82,280 · +10% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Installation · Troubleshooting
57% skill match · $106,730 · +42% pay
Systems Analysis · Systems Evaluation · Operations Monitoring
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Media Technical Directors/Managers (70% skill match, median $90,360), Avionics Technicians (61% skill match, median $82,280) and Power Distributors and Dispatchers (57% skill match, median $106,730), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 10 pay more than camera operators, television, video, and film at the median. The biggest increases: Power Distributors and Dispatchers (+42%, $106,730), Special Effects Artists and Animators (+36%, $102,030) and Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (+23%, $92,460).
23 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.