Cinematographer demographics and statistics in the US
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Cinematographer demographics by:
Cinematographer gender statistics
14.7% of cinematographers are women and 85.3% of cinematographers are men.
- Male, 85.3%
- Female, 14.7%
Cinematographer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.3% |
| Female | 14.7% |
Cinematographer gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$71,003
Female income
$71,773
Cinematographer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in cinematographer positions over time. Currently, 14.7% of cinematographers are female.
Cinematographer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 91.15% | 8.85% |
| 2011 | 91.86% | 8.14% |
| 2012 | 89.28% | 10.72% |
| 2013 | 88.68% | 11.32% |
| 2014 | 90.45% | 9.55% |
| 2015 | 90.34% | 9.66% |
| 2016 | 86.84% | 13.16% |
| 2017 | 89.63% | 10.37% |
| 2018 | 88.43% | 11.57% |
| 2019 | 85.92% | 14.08% |
| 2020 | 85.84% | 14.16% |
| 2021 | 85.26% | 14.74% |
Cinematographer related jobs gender ratio
We compared cinematographers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, broadcast maintenance engineer and audio installer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Photographer Helper | 18% | 82% |
| Studio Associate | 23% | 77% |
| Photography Internship | 30% | 70% |
| Cinematographer | 85% | 15% |
| News Cameraman | 95% | 5% |
| Audio Installer | 95% | 5% |
| Broadcast Maintenance Engineer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Cinematographer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among cinematographers is White, which makes up 63.1% of all cinematographers. Comparatively, 17.8% of cinematographers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.1% of cinematographers are Asian.
- White, 63.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.8%
- Asian, 7.1%
- Black or African American, 6.6%
- Unknown, 5.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Cinematographer race
| Cinematographer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.8% |
| Asian | 7.1% |
| Black or African American | 6.6% |
| Unknown | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Cinematographer race and ethnicity over time
See how cinematographer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Cinematographer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.76% | 7.05% | 4.22% | 12.50% |
| 2011 | 71.61% | 6.31% | 5.11% | 14.56% |
| 2012 | 70.94% | 7.18% | 6.54% | 12.03% |
| 2013 | 68.78% | 6.01% | 7.23% | 14.85% |
| 2014 | 70.17% | 7.02% | 6.53% | 13.90% |
| 2015 | 69.86% | 6.94% | 5.68% | 13.68% |
| 2016 | 69.13% | 7.29% | 5.02% | 15.88% |
| 2017 | 70.86% | 5.70% | 5.89% | 14.18% |
| 2018 | 68.57% | 7.49% | 6.82% | 13.63% |
| 2019 | 64.68% | 6.91% | 9.19% | 15.17% |
| 2020 | 65.65% | 5.75% | 7.44% | 15.72% |
| 2021 | 63.08% | 6.58% | 7.05% | 17.81% |
Cinematographer wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown cinematographers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american cinematographers have the lowest average salary at $66,376.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $75,264 |
| White | $70,100 |
| Black or African American | $66,376 |
| Asian | $73,135 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $70,461 |
Average cinematographer age
See how the average age of cinematographers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Cinematographer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38 | |
| White | 37.5 | 32 |
| Black or African American | 39 | |
| Asian | 36 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 38 |
Cinematographer age breakdown
The average age of cinematographers is 40+ years years old, representing 39% of the cinematographer population.
Cinematographer age breakdown
| Cinematographer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 39% |
| 30-40 years | 35% |
| 20-30 years | 25% |
Cinematographer educational attainment
The most common degree for cinematographers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of cinematographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Cinematographers by degree level
| Cinematographer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 73% |
| Associate | 13% |
| Master's | 6% |
| High School Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Cinematographer jobs you might like
Cinematographer wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $76,476 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $70,106 |
Cinematographer employment statistics
Most cinematographers work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where cinematographers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where cinematographers work.
Cinematographer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 23% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 17% |
| > 10,000 employees | 10% |
Cinematographer jobs by company type
Employees with the cinematographer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most cinematographers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Cinematographer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 15% |
| Public | 11% |
| Private | 71% |
| Government | 3% |
Cinematographer jobs by industry
The most common industries for cinematographers are media, education and technology.
Cinematographer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 22% |
| Education | 13% |
| Technology | 10% |
| Start-up | 8% |
| Retail | 8% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
Cinematographer turnover and employment statistics
Cinematographer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for cinematographers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cinematographer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Cinematographer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.45% |
| 2011 | 9.44% |
| 2012 | 11.75% |
| 2013 | 9.27% |
| 2014 | 10.07% |
| 2015 | 8.04% |
| 2016 | 9.10% |
| 2017 | 6.18% |
| 2018 | 5.92% |
| 2019 | 8.68% |
| 2020 | 14.35% |
| 2021 | 9.49% |
Average cinematographer tenure
The average cinematographer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,312 cinematographers resumes in Zippia's database.
Cinematographer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 32% |
| 1-2 years | 18% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Cinematographer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of cinematographers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Director Of Audio Visual Services | 5.55% | 59,389 |
| Photographer Assistant | 8.13% | 1,771 |
| Cinematographer | 10.03% | - |
| Copy Editor | 11.70% | 4,866 |
| Marketing Designer | 12.14% | 115,910 |
| Interior Designer | 17.34% | 48,020 |
| Actor | 23.07% | 218 |
Similar cinematographer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Director Of Audio Visual Services | 5.55% | 59,389 |
| Photographer Assistant | 8.13% | 1,771 |
| Copy Editor | 11.70% | 4,866 |
| Marketing Designer | 12.14% | 115,910 |
| Interior Designer | 17.34% | 48,020 |
| Actor | 23.07% | 218 |
Foreign languages spoken by cinematographers
The most common foreign language among cinematographers is Spanish at 43.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.4% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 7.3%.
- Spanish, 43.6%
- French, 16.4%
- Japanese, 7.3%
- Mandarin, 5.5%
- Chinese, 3.6%
- Other, 23.6%
Cinematographer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 43.6% |
| French | 16.4% |
| Japanese | 7.3% |
| Mandarin | 5.5% |
| Chinese | 3.6% |
| Other | 23.6% |
