Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys vs Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: $47K vs $75K Median Pay

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys vs Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: what changes?

Consider Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys if you want to speak or read from scripted materials, such as news reports or commercial messages, on radio, television, or other communications media. Consider Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film if you would rather operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys and Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys

National median pay (2025): $47,340
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,000

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 7.6% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys brief

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

National median pay (2025): $74,990
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,500

Know before you choose

Hands-on manipulation of tools, controls, or objects occupies a meaningful part of the workday.

See the full Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film brief

How the national numbers differ

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film has the edge on median pay

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is at $74,990, compared with $47,340 for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film has the edge on projected growth

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is at 1.3% projected growth, compared with -7.6% projected growth for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys.

Typical preparation differs.

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys: Bachelor's degree Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: Bachelor's degree Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film has the edge on annual openings

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film is at 2,500 annual openings, compared with 2,000 annual openings for Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys.

22.8/ 100

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys

46.8/ 100

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys vs Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Dimension	Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys	Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Median pay (2025)	$47,340	$74,990
Pay percentile	24.3 percentile	65 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-7.6%	1.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,000	2,500
2025 employment	21,800	32,600
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys brief Read Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film brief

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys vs Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

How the national numbers differ

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film has the edge on median pay

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film has the edge on projected growth

Typical preparation differs.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film has the edge on annual openings

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys vs Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Try another comparison

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys vs News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

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