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Camera technician vs camera operator

The differences between camera technicians and camera operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a camera technician has an average salary of $43,959, which is higher than the $43,609 average annual salary of a camera operator.

The top three skills for a camera technician include camera equipment, video cameras and CCTV. The most important skills for a camera operator are video production, camera equipment, and camera operation.

Camera technician vs camera operator overview

Camera TechnicianCamera Operator
Yearly salary$43,959$43,609
Hourly rate$21.13$20.97
Growth rate5%12%
Number of jobs24,82626,006
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4637
Years of experience6-

Camera technician vs camera operator salary

Camera technicians and camera operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Camera TechnicianCamera Operator
Average salary$43,959$43,609
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $73,000Between $25,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Apple
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between camera technician and camera operator education

There are a few differences between a camera technician and a camera operator in terms of educational background:

Camera TechnicianCamera Operator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeNortheastern UniversityJohns Hopkins University

Camera technician vs camera operator demographics

Here are the differences between camera technicians' and camera operators' demographics:

Camera TechnicianCamera Operator
Average age4637
Gender ratioMale, 82.4% Female, 17.6%Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 5.5% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage9%10%

Differences between camera technician and camera operator duties and responsibilities

Camera technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead a team of up to four installers that convert several hundr banks on the west coast of Florida to VOIP.
  • Repair an average of two SLR cameras every six hours.
  • Gain experience with HD equipment and the process of recording athletic sports.
  • Troubleshoot and repair SLR's, compact cameras, and all types of Olympus printers.
  • Install cat5, coax, security, and low voltage wire and speaker systems for new houses.
  • Install motors, transformers, disconnect, switches, receptacles and lighting, run all circuits to power them.
  • Show more

Camera operator example responsibilities.

  • Set up and operate cameras during basketball, volleyball, baseball, football, and softball games.
  • Work involve studio productions and field shoots doing camera work, control room work, and grip work.
  • Live footage capture at indoor and outdoor events including basketball, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, and lacrosse.
  • Operate studio equipment (camera, audio, teleprompter) and assist producers and in-studio guests for live talk shows.
  • Gather camera shots of a variety of sports at school games such as basketball, baseball, soccer, and volleyball.
  • Make sure the anchors have the right microphones, IFB, scripts and rundowns.
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Camera technician vs camera operator skills

Common camera technician skills
  • Camera Equipment, 44%
  • Video Cameras, 12%
  • CCTV, 8%
  • Trouble Shoot, 6%
  • Camera Systems, 6%
  • Security Cameras, 5%
Common camera operator skills
  • Video Production, 24%
  • Camera Equipment, 13%
  • Camera Operation, 7%
  • Audio Equipment, 5%
  • CCTV, 4%
  • Live Broadcasts, 4%

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