The highest-paying states for camera operators, television, video, and motion picture (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of camera operators, television, video, and motion picture in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $91,800, New Jersey is the highest paying state for camera operators, television, video, and motion picture. It is followed by New York (average annual salary $85,310). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of camera operators, television, video, and motion picture in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $91,800 |
$44,790 | 1,060 |
| 2 | New York | $85,310 |
$37,890 | 2,030 |
| 3 | Washington | $84,380 |
$36,240 | 420 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $84,090 |
$59,370 | 430 |
| 5 | California | $74,580 |
$39,070 | 5,360 |
| 6 | Arizona | $73,170 |
$44,210 | 620 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $68,710 |
$39,520 | 420 |
| 8 | Maryland | $65,270 |
$27,100 | 160 |
| 9 | Colorado | $64,420 |
$38,000 | 370 |
| 10 | Oregon | $62,690 |
$46,150 | 410 |
| 11 | Idaho | $62,280 |
$29,310 | 60 |
| 12 | Georgia | $60,970 |
$21,990 | 640 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $59,960 |
$42,070 | 130 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $57,000 |
$33,620 | 370 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $56,950 |
$44,230 | 30 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $56,740 |
$31,850 | 290 |
| 17 | Alaska | $56,720 |
$24,080 | 30 |
| 18 | Virginia | $56,440 |
$22,910 | 410 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $55,800 |
$31,840 | 440 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $52,000 |
$52,000 | 160 |
| 21 | Michigan | $51,740 |
$38,960 | 490 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $51,150 |
$21,700 | 120 |
| 23 | Utah | $50,440 |
$26,860 | 370 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $50,070 |
$39,790 | 80 |
| 25 | Texas | $48,420 |
$33,660 | 960 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $48,340 |
$24,580 | 50 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $47,930 |
$24,300 | 510 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $47,290 |
$18,390 | 60 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $47,270 |
$29,630 | 370 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $46,950 |
$23,650 | 140 |
| 31 | Florida | $46,320 |
$30,400 | 1,430 |
| 32 | Iowa | $45,140 |
$27,370 | 210 |
| 33 | Nevada | $45,080 |
$35,060 | 170 |
| 34 | Ohio | $45,000 |
$27,130 | 230 |
| 35 | Alabama | $44,900 |
$21,990 | 210 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | $44,090 |
$33,100 | 810 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $43,040 |
$23,920 | 380 |
| 38 | Indiana | $41,810 |
$19,680 | 210 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $41,410 |
$22,880 | 220 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $41,020 |
$26,530 | 330 |
| 41 | Kansas | $39,310 |
$17,170 | 170 |
| 42 | Puerto Rico | $37,600 |
$18,950 | 170 |
| 43 | Maine | $37,400 |
$27,840 | 90 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $35,520 |
$27,910 | 40 |
| 45 | Vermont | $35,360 |
$31,200 | 150 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $33,550 |
$25,030 | 50 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $32,980 |
$25,890 | 50 |
| 48 | Guam | $32,590 |
$19,340 | 30 |
| 49 | Illinois | $31,570 |
$24,960 | 260 |
| 50 | Montana | $30,750 |
$30,160 | 130 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $29,710 |
$22,880 | 60 |
| 52 | Missouri | $26,920 |
$23,220 | 110 |