Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film vs Producers and Directors: $75K vs $90K Median Pay

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film vs Producers and Directors: what changes?

Consider Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film if you want to operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions. Consider Producers and Directors if you would rather produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or film productions for entertainment, information, or instruction. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Producers and Directors (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film and Producers and Directors. 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

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

Producers and Directors

National median pay (2025): $90,360
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
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: Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 12,100

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Producers and Directors brief

How the national numbers differ

Producers and Directors has the edge on annual openings

Producers and Directors is at 12,100 annual openings, compared with 2,500 annual openings for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.

Producers and Directors has the edge on projected growth

Producers and Directors is at 4% projected growth, compared with 1.3% projected growth for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.

Producers and Directors has the edge on median pay

Producers and Directors is at $90,360, compared with $74,990 for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film.

Typical preparation differs.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: Bachelor's degree Producers and Directors: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

46.8/ 100

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

63.5/ 100

Producers and Directors

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

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film vs Producers and Directors

Dimension	Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film	Producers and Directors
Median pay (2025)	$74,990	$90,360
Pay percentile	65 percentile	77.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	1.3%	4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,500	12,100
2025 employment	32,600	181,000
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
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.

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Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film vs Producers and Directors: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film

Producers and Directors

How the national numbers differ

Producers and Directors has the edge on annual openings

Producers and Directors has the edge on projected growth

Producers and Directors has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film vs Producers and Directors

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