How To Become A Motion Picture Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a motion picture operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a motion picture operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $22.67 an hour? That's $47,153 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 4,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMotion Picture OperatorUS Average

Salary

Avg. Salary $47,153

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 4.97%

Black or African American 7.56%

Hispanic or Latino 12.33%

Unknown 5.35%

White 69.30%

Gender

female 23.33%

male 76.67%

Age - 27

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 27

Key steps to become a motion picture operator

Explore motion picture operator education requirements

Most common motion picture operator degrees

Bachelor's

46.7 %

Associate

33.3 %

Master's

13.3 %

Start to develop specific motion picture operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Motion Graphics	100.00%

Complete relevant motion picture operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New motion picture operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a motion picture operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real motion picture operator resumes.

Research motion picture operator duties and responsibilities

Manage training and development of mastering and QC staff.
Assess projection equipment and movie film prior to operation in order to ensure both are in proper working order.
Maintain client server database for KDM distribution.

Prepare your motion picture operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your motion picture operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a motion picture operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable motion picture operator resume templates

Build a professional motion picture operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your motion picture operator resume.