Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between video technicians and camera operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a video technician has an average salary of $45,504, which is higher than the $43,609 average annual salary of a camera operator.
The top three skills for a video technician include VTC, video equipment and video production. The most important skills for a camera operator are video production, camera equipment, and camera operation.
| Video Technician | Camera Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $45,504 | $43,609 |
| Hourly rate | $21.88 | $20.97 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 36,283 | 26,006 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
The job of a video technician is to operate, install, maintain and repair video and projection equipment, including digital video cameras, grip kits, and media servers. You will report to a video supervisor, technical director, or stage manager during the show run. You will be responsible for working closely with the projection designer and performing video and audio installations. In addition, you will be operating, configuring, and maintaining satellite communications equipment and associated devices. You will also be responsible for determining equipment capabilities and evaluate setup requirements.
A camera operator is responsible for operating various technical equipment to support technical operations, such as media productions and live events. Camera operators must have extensive knowledge of different camera features to select the appropriate device and manage the production's overall visual presentation. They also deliver the perfect footage on different angles for easy editing techniques alongside the technical crews and director's supervision. A camera operator should be communicative, as well as having excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills to adhere to the demands of production and schedules.
Video technicians and camera operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Video Technician | Camera Operator | |
| Average salary | $45,504 | $43,609 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $68,000 | Between $25,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Plymouth, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | NTT Data International L.L.C. | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Education |
There are a few differences between a video technician and a camera operator in terms of educational background:
| Video Technician | Camera Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between video technicians' and camera operators' demographics:
| Video Technician | Camera Operator | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.5% Female, 18.5% | Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.4% 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 Percentage | 8% | 10% |