Often handed to AI
Task areas most often handled directively in observed AI conversations — candidates to delegate with light review.
- Design graphics for studio productions. · 0.4%
- Write new scripts for broadcasts. · 0.3%
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
Occupation · SOC 27-4031.00
Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television, video, or film productions.
Also called: Camera Operator · Cameraman · Television News Photographer · Videographer · Master Control Operator (MCO) · News Videographer · Production Technician · Studio Camera Operator · Advanced Air Mobility Operator (AAM Operator) · Advanced Air Mobility Pilot (AAM Pilot) · Advanced Air Mobility Technician (AAM Technician) · Aerial Camera Operator
Job family: Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-27-4031-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Use as a copilot
Task areas where people work with AI — iterating, learning, or checking — staying in the loop rather than handing the task off.
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. · 0.7%
- Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. · 0.5%
Keep a human in the loop
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
- Write new scripts for broadcasts. · 100.0% need a human
- Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. · 91.8% need a human
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. · 85.5% need a human
Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- About average employment outlook (+1.2% by 2034)
- 2,900 openings/yr
- High AI exposure
- Observed AI use leans augmentation
- Median pay $68,810/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- Both the 2013 computerization estimate and today's AI exposure rank this high
56th-percentile task overlap — yet about 2,900 openings a year (+1.2% projected, BLS), and observed AI use leans 4415% copilot, not hand-off (AEI) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 37th | -0.4 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 64th | 0.8 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) High | 69th | 0.2 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.4), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.8). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.6 · 51st percentile among occupations · Moderate
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. | 0.4% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | About average · +1.2% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 2,900 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 36,400 → 36,900 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film sits at the 65th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
35% mean task exposure (2025)
65th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Broadcasting and Audio-visual Technicians · 3521 | 35% | Minimal |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Working with AI in this job
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Augmentation vs. automation | 44.1% working with AI · 39.4% handed to AI |
| Most common way people use AI here | Iteration · you and AI go back and forth |
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.5 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
| Used for work (vs. personal / coursework) | 51.1% |
What people delegate to AI
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. | Iteration | 0.7% |
| Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. | Iteration | 0.5% |
| Design graphics for studio productions. | Directive | 0.4% |
| Write new scripts for broadcasts. | Directive | 0.3% |
Where a human is still needed
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Write new scripts for broadcasts. | 100.0% | |
| Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. | 91.8% | |
| Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. | 85.5% | |
| Design graphics for studio productions. | 82.1% |
What people most often hand AI here
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
-
Help me compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.From: Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. · 0.7% of measured AI use · task iteration
-
Help me edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing.From: Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. · 0.5% of measured AI use · task iteration
-
Help me design graphics for studio productions.From: Design graphics for studio productions. · 0.4% of measured AI use · directive
-
Help me write new scripts for broadcasts.From: Write new scripts for broadcasts. · 0.3% of measured AI use · directive
Tasks
All 24 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. Core · importance 4.8
- Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures. Core · importance 4.7
- Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. Supplemental · importance 4.7
- Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming. Supplemental · importance 4.6
- Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting. Core · importance 4.5
- Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera movements, and lighting requirements. Core · importance 4.5
- Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions. Core · importance 4.4
- Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements. Core · importance 4.3
- Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Set up and perform live shots for broadcast. Core · importance 4.2
- Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted. Core · importance 4.1
- Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition. Core · importance 4.1
- View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Direct studio productions. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances. Supplemental · importance 3.9
- Set up and operate electric news gathering (ENG) microwave vehicles to gather and edit raw footage on location to send to television affiliates for broadcast. Supplemental · importance 3.6
- Write new scripts for broadcasts. Supplemental · importance 3.5
- Design graphics for studio productions. Supplemental · importance 3.4
- Stay current with new technologies in the field by reading trade magazines. Supplemental · importance 2.7
- Label and record contents of exposed film and note details on report forms. Supplemental
- Prepare slates that describe the scenes being filmed. Supplemental
- Reload camera magazines with fresh raw film stock. Supplemental
Emerging tasks
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
- Operate drones to capture aerial or unique angle footage for film, television, or video productions.
Work activities
- Edit audio or video recordings.
- Operate communications, transmissions, or broadcasting equipment.
- Select materials or props.
- Set up still or video cameras or related equipment.
- Maintain recording or broadcasting equipment.
- Research new technologies.
- Direct productions or performances.
- Create computer-generated graphics or animation.
- Write informational material.
- Operate still or video cameras or related equipment.
- Determine technical requirements of productions or projects.
- Collaborate with others to determine technical details of productions.
- Inspect sets or exhibits.
- Coordinate activities of production personnel.
- Manage content of broadcasts or presentations.
- Review details of technical drawings or specifications.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| English Language | 4.3 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 4.0 | |
| Communications and Media | 3.8 | |
| Telecommunications | 3.8 | |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.9 |
Essential skills
| Active Listening | 3.8 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 | |
| Speaking | 3.3 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 | |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Writing | 2.9 | |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
Abilities
| Visualization | 3.8 | |
| Near Vision | 3.8 | |
| Far Vision | 3.8 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.6 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.6 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.5 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.5 | |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.4 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.4 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.3 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.3 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.3 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.3 | |
| Control Precision | 3.3 | |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.1 | |
| Originality | 3.1 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.0 | |
| Time Sharing | 3.0 |
Transferable skills
| Coordination | 3.3 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | |
| Time Management | 3.1 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | |
| Persuasion | 2.9 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 46.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services , Visual and Performing Arts . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 60.7% | |
| High School Diploma | 17.8% | |
| Some College Courses | 14.6% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 6.9% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Interest areas
| Media | 6.6 | |
| Applied Arts and Design | 5.2 | |
| Visual Arts | 4.9 | |
| Performing Arts | 3.5 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 3.5 | |
| Marketing/Advertising | 2.4 | |
| Engineering | 2.3 | |
| Information Technology | 2.3 | |
| Physical/Manual Labor | 2.1 |
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Artistic | 5.0 | |
| Realistic | 4.9 | |
| Conventional | 3.6 | |
| Enterprising | 2.3 | |
| Investigative | 2.0 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 2.1 | |
| Attention to Detail | 2.0 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $36,240 |
| 25th percentile | $48,060 |
| Median (50th) | $68,810 |
| 75th percentile | $102,400 |
| 90th percentile | $131,420 |
| People employed | 24,460 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Information · Sector | 14,840 | $78,650 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 3,580 | $64,090 |
| Television Broadcasting Stations · National industry | 2,350 | $59,060 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 1,560 | $102,550 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation · Sector | 1,250 | $54,810 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 960 | $102,630 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 780 | $50,300 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | 340 | $60,000 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 260 | $54,130 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 250 | $65,980 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 220 | $68,270 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 210 | $61,840 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Television Broadcasting Stations · National industry | 228.18× | 2,350 |
| Information · Sector | 32.17× | 14,840 |
| Radio Broadcasting Stations · National industry | 24.35× | 200 |
| Newspaper Publishers · National industry | 10.43× | 150 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation · Sector | 2.98× | 1,250 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 2.28× | 960 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 2.1× | 3,580 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 1.09× | 1,560 |
Related occupations
Part of the Arts, Entertainment, & Design career cluster.
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians · 17-3024.00 Compare →
- Broadcast Technicians · 27-4012.00 Compare →
- Audio and Video Technicians · 27-4011.00 Compare →
- Media Technical Directors/Managers · 27-2012.05 Compare →
- Avionics Technicians · 49-2091.00 Compare →
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers · 49-9061.00 Compare →
- Lighting Technicians · 27-4015.00 Compare →
- Motion Picture Projectionists · 39-3021.00 Compare →
- Sound Engineering Technicians · 27-4014.00 Compare →
- Film and Video Editors · 27-4032.00 Compare →
- Remote Sensing Technicians · 19-4099.03 Compare →
- Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists · 19-2099.01 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- Bachelor's degree · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services · field of study
- Visual and Performing Arts · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 65th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film show 56th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,900 annual U.S. openings
- Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film rank in the 56th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 2,900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be about average (+1.2%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $68,810, across about 24,460 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
- Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 44% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census.2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2
Copy the whole kit
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film show 56th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,900 annual U.S. openings • Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film rank in the 56th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 2,900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be about average (+1.2%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $68,810, across about 24,460 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 44% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census. (2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2) Source: Singulariki — "Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4031-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4031-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4031-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-27-4031-00,
title = {Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-27-4031-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.