AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 27-4031.00
Will AI replace Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film?
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film: AI can already handle 1 of 21 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 21 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write new scripts for broadcasts. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Design graphics for studio productions. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film, filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts, advertising, or motion pictures. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Edit video for broadcast productions, including non-linear editing. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Instruct camera operators regarding camera setups, angles, distances, movement, and variables and cues for starting and stopping filming. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change focus, exposure, and lighting. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate zoom lenses, changing images according to specifications and rehearsal instructions. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Observe sets or locations for potential problems and to determine filming and lighting requirements. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Read and analyze work orders and specifications to determine locations of subject material, work procedures, sequences of operations, and machine setups. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Set up and perform live shots for broadcast. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Use cameras in any of several different camera mounts, such as stationary, track-mounted, or crane-mounted. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| View films to resolve problems of exposure control, subject and camera movement, changes in subject distance, and related variables. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Direct studio productions. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Set up cameras, optical printers, and related equipment to produce photographs and special effects. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Read charts and compute ratios to determine variables such as lighting, shutter angles, filter factors, and camera distances. | Estimated | Standard | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Stay current with new technologies in the field by reading trade magazines. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Test, clean, maintain, and repair broadcast equipment, including testing microphones, to ensure proper working condition. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 21 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 21. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 86% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 95% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 5% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 21,550
- Median annual wage
- $74,990
- Middle half of earners
- $50,920 to $106,660
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +1.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure29
- Film and Video Editors 68% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure41
- Audio and Video Technicians 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure47
- Photographers 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure38
- Broadcast Technicians 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure48
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film and AI
Will AI replace Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film?
AI already handles 1 of the 21 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 31 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +1.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film?
31 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 21 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Write new scripts for broadcasts. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 86% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film, and what do they earn?
21,550 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $74,990 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/camera-operators-television-video-and-film
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