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Director of photography vs news camera operator

The differences between directors of photography and news camera operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director of photography has an average salary of $105,236, which is higher than the $77,873 average annual salary of a news camera operator.

The top three skills for a director of photography include video projects, DP and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a news camera operator are video packages, news stories, and live broadcasts.

Director of photography vs news camera operator overview

Director Of PhotographyNews Camera Operator
Yearly salary$105,236$77,873
Hourly rate$50.59$37.44
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs5,74627,307
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age3737
Years of experience--

Director of photography vs news camera operator salary

Directors of photography and news camera operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of PhotographyNews Camera Operator
Average salary$105,236$77,873
Salary rangeBetween $71,000 And $153,000Between $50,000 And $119,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NY-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyGap Inc.-
Best paying industry--

Differences between director of photography and news camera operator education

There are a few differences between a director of photography and a news camera operator in terms of educational background:

Director Of PhotographyNews Camera Operator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorPhotographyCommunication
Most common collegeJohns Hopkins UniversityNew York University

Director of photography vs news camera operator demographics

Here are the differences between directors of photography' and news camera operators' demographics:

Director Of PhotographyNews Camera Operator
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 79.7% Female, 20.3%Male, 64.0% Female, 36.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between director of photography and news camera operator duties and responsibilities

Director of photography example responsibilities.

  • Manage all photography assets for a slate of Showtime original series, documentaries and sports programming.
  • Coordinate and manage show production, including budget creation, scriptwriting and booking guest for on camera interviews.
  • Act as the gaffer and grip.
  • Provide services for YouTube album music releases.
  • Organize camera, electrical and grip crews.
  • Direct the gaffer to meet establish lighting strategy.
  • Show more

News camera operator example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate with other camera operators and photography director to ensure professional video footage.
  • Mail tapes, progress reports, production notes and footage to MTV's NY office.

Director of photography vs news camera operator skills

Common director of photography skills
  • Video Projects, 28%
  • DP, 20%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 6%
  • Sony, 5%
  • Video Production, 3%
  • Cinematography, 3%
Common news camera operator skills
  • Video Packages, 48%
  • News Stories, 21%
  • Live Broadcasts, 17%
  • Audio Operators, 14%

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