As of June 2026, Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film has an AI-exposure score of 51/100 (Elevated exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
More exposed than 34% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$74,990. About 2,900 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Arts, Design & Media roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as augmentable (100%).
- Set up and operate electric news gathering (ENG) microwave vehicles to gather and edit raw footage on location to send to television affiliates for broadcast.
- Set up and perform live shots for broadcast.
- Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition.
- Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.
- View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables.
- Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups.
- Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming.
- Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures.
- Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects.
- Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting.
- Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements.
- Direct studio productions.
- Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances.
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
- Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming.
- Write new scripts for broadcasts.
- Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements.
- Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted.
- Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions.
- Design graphics for studio productions.
No durable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as augmentable (100%).
Safer adjacent roles
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it · 5–10 safer roles with salary, demand & reachability · skill-gap map · a 30/60/90-day roadmap · plus a résumé & LinkedIn rewrite · PDF.
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Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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