Freelance Camera Operator Salary in the United States
How much does a Freelance Camera Operator make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Freelance Camera Operator in the United States is $73,172 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $35.
However, a Freelance Camera Operator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $87,683
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $63,636 to $80,767
Key Factors That Influence Freelance Camera Operator Salaries
A Freelance Camera Operator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Freelance Camera Operator Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Freelance Camera Operator's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Freelance Camera Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Freelance Camera Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $81,015.
California: $80,708.
Massachusetts: $79,633.
District of Columbia$81,015
California$80,708
Massachusetts$79,633
Washington$79,340
New Jersey$79,311
Alaska$79,208
Connecticut$78,198
New York$77,789
Hawaii$76,479
Rhode Island$75,864
Maryland$75,447
Minnesota$74,876
Colorado$74,657
Illinois$74,584
Oregon$74,306
Delaware$74,101
New Hampshire$73,972
Virginia$73,684
Pennsylvania$72,842
Nevada$72,418
North Dakota$72,279
Michigan$72,059
Wisconsin$71,979
Vermont$71,818
Texas$71,371
Maine$71,342
Arizona$71,298
Ohio$71,247
Georgia$70,574
Indiana$70,237
Wyoming$70,171
Utah$70,069
Iowa$70,025
Kansas$69,674
Louisiana$69,571
North Carolina$69,535
Missouri$69,520
Florida$69,235
Montana$69,081
Nebraska$68,935
Kentucky$68,854
South Carolina$68,562
Tennessee$68,379
Idaho$68,306
New Mexico$67,771
Oklahoma$67,654
Alabama$67,223
South Dakota$66,498
Arkansas$66,103
West Virginia$65,891
Mississippi$65,254
Top Paying Cities for Freelance Camera Operators
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $92,291
San Francisco: $91,281
Oakland: $89,357
San Jose, CA$92,291
San Francisco, CA$91,281
Oakland, CA$89,357
New York, NY$84,249
Paramus, NJ$83,225
Queens Village, NY$83,221
Passaic, NJ$83,151
Bergenfield, NJ$83,145
Stamford, CT$82,984
Huntington, NY$82,954
Newark, NJ$82,413
Bridgeport, CT$82,259
Vallejo, CA$82,113
New Brunswick, NJ$82,084
Petaluma, CA$82,040
Middlesex, NJ$81,901
Somerset, NJ$81,850
Santa Cruz, CA$81,755
Boston, MA$81,308
Monterey, CA$81,051
Seattle, WA$80,884
Santa Rosa, CA$80,869
Los Angeles, CA$80,847
Juneau, AK$80,657
Washington, DC$80,576
Orange, CA$80,316
Santa Ana, CA$80,123
Long Beach, CA$80,050
Anaheim, CA$80,035
Anchorage, AK$79,998
Santa Maria, CA$79,779
Everett, WA$79,764
Danbury, CT$79,507
Bremerton, WA$79,406
Tacoma, WA$79,142
New Suffolk, NY$79,141
Sacramento, CA$79,120
Santa Barbara, CA$79,040
Trenton, NJ$78,959
San Diego, CA$78,959
Brockton, MA$78,879
Fairbanks, AK$78,700
Lompoc, CA$78,513
Lowell, MA$78,454
Ventura, CA$78,440
Nashua, NH$78,425
Stockton, CA$78,418
Modesto, CA$77,884
Poughkeepsie, NY$77,723
Olympia, WA$77,584
Kennewick, WA$77,584
New Haven, CT$77,554
Lawrence, MA$77,291
Hartford, CT$77,218
Riverside, CA$77,203
New Bedford, MA$77,130
Richland, WA$77,130
Bakersfield, CA$77,028
San Bernardino, CA$76,998
New Britain, CT$76,991
Atlantic City, NJ$76,991
New London, CT$76,962
Norwich, CT$76,940
Portsmouth, NH$76,925
Boulder, CO$76,770
Portland, OR$76,669
Worcester, MA$76,662
Minneapolis, MN$76,435
Philadelphia, PA$76,333
Honolulu, HI$76,091
Saint Paul, MN$76,056
Vineland, NJ$76,040
Providence, RI$75,828
Chicago, IL$75,615
Bellingham, WA$75,528
Springfield, MA$75,469
Baltimore, MD$75,447
Chico, CA$75,264
Pittsfield, MA$75,067
Manchester, NH$74,928
Spokane, WA$74,606
Denver, CO$74,598
Albany, NY$74,254
Troy, NY$74,225
Nassau, NY$74,147
Schenectady, NY$74,072
Wilmington, DE$74,013
Burlington, VT$73,911
Salem, OR$73,881
Portland, ME$73,654
Yakima, WA$73,581
Rochester, MN$73,354
Reno, NV$73,318
Fresno, CA$73,318
Milwaukee, WI$73,252
Detroit, MI$73,179
Ann Arbor, MI$73,166
Allentown, PA$73,157
Colorado Springs, CO$73,032
Syracuse, NY$72,996
Carson City, NV$72,996
Houston, TX$72,893
Eugene, OR$72,857
Gary, IN$72,769
Springfield, OR$72,711
Bismarck, ND$72,696
Galveston, TX$72,645
Medford, OR$72,535
Fort Collins, CO$72,506
Concord, NH$72,469
Austin, TX$72,447
Mesa, AZ$72,293
Reading, PA$72,286
Phoenix, AZ$72,279
Dallas, TX$72,257
Saint Cloud, MN$72,187
Madison, WI$72,089
Utica, NY$71,891
Rochester, NY$71,774
Des Moines, IA$71,767
Raleigh, NC$71,759
Atlanta, GA$71,650
Battle Creek, MI$71,628
Salt Lake City, UT$71,606
Lancaster, PA$71,496
Harrisburg, PA$71,393
Kansas City, MO$71,320
Champaign, IL$71,306
Kansas City, KS$71,306
Fort Worth, TX$71,298
Columbus, OH$71,286
Boca Raton, FL$71,269
Pittsburgh, PA$71,240
Richmond, VA$71,211
Indianapolis, IN$71,196
Cleveland, OH$71,189
Las Vegas, NV$71,101
Cincinnati, OH$71,101
Petersburg, VA$70,991
Huntsville, AL$70,881
Lansing, MI$70,832
Lebanon, PA$70,823
Pueblo, CO$70,815
Appleton, WI$70,793
Buffalo, NY$70,764
Dayton, OH$70,742
Racine, WI$70,728
Charlotte, NC$70,720
Saint Louis, MO$70,698
York, PA$70,654
Elkhart, IN$70,654
Gastonia, NC$70,640
Billings, MT$70,623
Beaumont, TX$70,603
Lorain, OH$70,589
Benton Harbor, MI$70,574
Toledo, OH$70,559
Binghamton, NY$70,523
Rock Hill, SC$70,515
Rockford, IL$70,479
Springfield, IL$70,450
Elyria, OH$70,442
Fargo, ND$70,442
Flagstaff, AZ$70,391
Fort Lauderdale, FL$70,347
Duluth, MN$70,303
Miami, FL$70,303
Cheyenne, WY$70,252
Grand Forks, ND$70,252
Bangor, ME$70,091
Cedar Rapids, IA$70,010
Durham, NC$69,980
Louisville, KY$69,974
Grand Rapids, MI$69,959
Hialeah, FL$69,952
Casper, WY$69,850
Scranton, PA$69,762
New Orleans, LA$69,740
Virginia Beach, VA$69,732
Akron, OH$69,696
Peoria, IL$69,601
Sarasota, FL$69,586
Nashville, TN$69,535
Omaha, NE$69,535
Green Bay, WI$69,535
Baton Rouge, LA$69,498
Charleston, SC$69,484
Jamestown, NY$69,447
Davenport, IA$69,447
Tucson, AZ$69,410
Saint Petersburg, FL$69,367
Tampa, FL$69,352
Evansville, IN$69,308
Port Arthur, TX$69,308
Bradenton, FL$69,279
Santa Fe, NM$69,147
Orlando, FL$69,015
Clearwater, FL$68,993
Canton, OH$68,840
La Crosse, WI$68,840
Albuquerque, NM$68,796
Newport News, VA$68,789
High Point, NC$68,767
Ogden, UT$68,737
Corpus Christi, TX$68,679
Norfolk, VA$68,635
Laramie, WY$68,635
Rock Island, IL$68,591
Saginaw, MI$68,576
Jacksonville, FL$68,569
Salisbury, NC$68,554
Boise, ID$68,540
Moline, IL$68,503
Fort Myers, FL$68,481
Memphis, TN$68,467
Tulsa, OK$68,430
Waterloo, IA$68,386
Spartanburg, SC$68,313
Lincoln, NE$68,276
Fort Wayne, IN$68,262
Provo, UT$68,254
Cedar Falls, IA$68,167
San Antonio, TX$68,137
Greensboro, NC$68,108
South Bend, IN$68,101
Savannah, GA$68,020
Muskegon, MI$67,991
Birmingham, AL$67,984
Winston Salem, NC$67,948
Lake Charles, LA$67,771
Anderson, IN$67,757
Lexington, KY$67,735
Augusta, GA$67,713
Greenville, SC$67,713
Lima, OH$67,654
Wichita, KS$67,647
Tuscaloosa, AL$67,647
Columbia, SC$67,581
Springfield, OH$67,567
Asheville, NC$67,449
Bloomington, IN$67,398
Knoxville, TN$67,135
Shreveport, LA$67,128
Wilmington, NC$67,032
Roanoke, VA$67,032
Topeka, KS$66,901
Frankfort, KY$66,893
Oklahoma City, OK$66,842
Chillicothe, OH$66,813
Longview, TX$66,806
Melbourne, FL$66,798
Sioux Falls, SD$66,681
Mobile, AL$66,674
Terre Haute, IN$66,645
Altoona, PA$66,601
Amarillo, TX$66,549
Killeen, TX$66,528
Fayetteville, AR$66,469
Chattanooga, TN$66,447
Sioux City, IA$66,381
Idaho Falls, ID$66,367
Lynchburg, VA$66,308
Gainesville, FL$66,213
Portsmouth, OH$66,176
Little Rock, AR$66,162
Lafayette, LA$66,132
Youngstown, OH$66,132
Daytona Beach, FL$66,088
Clarksville, TN$66,081
Pensacola, FL$66,074
Temple, TX$66,069
Hopkinsville, KY$65,854
Erie, PA$65,840
Florence, SC$65,810
Charleston, WV$65,693
Great Falls, MT$65,657
Macon, GA$65,554
Tallahassee, FL$65,547
Fayetteville, NC$65,532
Waco, TX$65,518
Helena, MT$65,467
Pine Bluff, AR$65,439
Vincennes, IN$65,349
Lubbock, TX$65,320
Alamogordo, NM$65,276
Twin Falls, ID$65,210
Rapid City, SD$65,188
Jackson, MS$65,057
Huntington, WV$65,052
Greenville, MS$65,049
Parkersburg, WV$64,975
Montgomery, AL$64,962
Wichita Falls, TX$64,888
Springfield, MO$64,888
Biloxi, MS$64,852
Monroe, LA$64,779
Johnstown, PA$64,728
Sumter, SC$64,698
Columbus, GA$64,691
Pascagoula, MS$64,552
Abilene, TX$64,552
Kingsport, TN$64,362
Albany, GA$64,362
Gulfport, MS$64,340
Alexandria, LA$64,098
Fort Smith, AR$63,915
El Paso, TX$63,718
Las Cruces, NM$63,388
Harlingen, TX$63,203
Pocatello, ID$63,191
Florence, AL$63,096
Brownsville, TX$63,081
Mcallen, TX$62,927
Dothan, AL$62,825
Columbus, MS$62,390
Altus, OK$62,049
Lawton, OK$61,910
Pierre, SD$61,647
What Skills Can Increase a Freelance Camera Operator's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Storytelling (Mentioned in 4.53% Job Postings): Planning, creating and presenting stories or narratives to achieve diverse personal and business goals.
Videography (Mentioned in 4.19% Job Postings): Videography is the process of capturing moving images on electronic media and even streaming media.
Publishing (Mentioned in 1.94% Job Postings): Publishing is the dissemination of literature, music, or information. It is the activity of making information available to the general public. In some cases, authors may be their own publishers, meaning originators and developers of content also provide media to deliver and display their content. Also, the word "publisher" can refer both to an individual who leads a publishing company or an imprint and to an individual who owns/heads a magazine. Traditionally, the term refers to the distribution of printed works, such as books (the "book trade") and newspapers. With the advent of digital information systems and the Internet, the scope of publishing has expanded to include electronic resources such as the electronic versions of books and periodicals, as well as micropublishing, websites, blogs, video game publishers, and the like. Publishing includes the following stages of development: acquisition, copy editing, production, printing (and its electronic equivalents), marketing, and distribution.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Freelance Camera Operator's salary.
Insight: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Freelance Camera Operator Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Freelance Camera Operator roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Healthcare and Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Freelance Camera Operator positions in Media or Business Services typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Freelance Camera Operator as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Freelance Camera Operator
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$109,757
$53.0
50%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
$87,806
$42.0
20%
How Education impacts a Freelance Camera Operator's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Freelance Camera Operators enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Freelance Camera Operator with a Associate's Degree is between
$67,923
and $75,596).
Freelance Camera Operator Salaries by Degree Level
Freelance Camera Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Freelance Camera Operator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$63,636
Average$73,172/year
$80,767
$5,303
Average$6,098/month
$6,731
$1,224
Average$1,407/week
$1,553
$31
Average$35/hour
$39
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$80,767
$6,731
$1,553
$39
Average
$73,172
$6,098
$1,407
$35
25th Percentile
$63,636
$5,303
$1,224
$31
Salaries of Jobs related to Freelance Camera Operator
Broadcast Camera Operator$94,401
Camera Operator, Television and Motion Picture$94,343
Camera Engineer$92,346
Video Camera Operator$73,349
Camera Assistant$55,448
Studio Camera Operator$49,835
Tv Camera Operator$48,261
Camera Operator$47,239
Camera Trainee$43,067
Camera Technician$42,806
Camera Installer$40,358
Salary Trends for Freelance Camera Operator
Salaries for a Freelance Camera Operator can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $63,939 in 2023
to around $63,756 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Freelance Camera Operator salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Freelance Camera Operator Over Time
$???
$63,939
$64,159
$63,756
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$63,939
2024
$64,159
2025
$63,756
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Freelance Camera Operator
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Freelance Camera Operator
Here are companies hiring for Freelance Camera Operator and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
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FAQ about Freelance Camera Operator
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Freelance Camera Operator?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Freelance Camera Operator roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
