Camera Operator (Film, Television or Video)
A camera operator sets up, operates, and maintains film, television, or video cameras on production sets or location shoots. They frame compositions, manage focus and exposure, and execute camera movements according to director and cinematographer instructions.
What this job is
A camera operator sets up, operates, and maintains film, television, or video cameras on production sets or location shoots. They frame compositions, manage focus and exposure, and execute camera movements according to director and cinematographer instructions. The role requires technical proficiency with broadcast and cinema camera equipment, lighting coordination, and an understanding of visual storytelling in studio, location, and post-production environments.
Are employers advertising this role?
Rising, up 64.9% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Set up and configure film, television, or video cameras (cinema cameras, broadcast cameras, mirrorless systems) with lenses, viewfinders, and support rigs. Operate follow focus systems and manual focus controls during filming to maintain image sharpness across planned camera movements. Frame shots and compose scenes according to cinematographer direction, adjusting camera position, height, and angle to match creative briefs. Manage camera exposure settings including iris, shutter speed, and white balance to maintain consistent image quality across takes and lighting conditions. Execute planned camera movements including pans, tilts, dolly shots, crane movements, and handheld work using dollies, jibs, gimbals, or stabilisation rigs. Liaise with gaffer and lighting technicians to coordinate camera positioning with lighting setups and shadow placement. Operate multiple camera angles simultaneously in multi-camera production setups (television, live broadcast, events). Log and label footage with take numbers, timing, lens information, and production metadata during and after shooting.
Who does this now
About 3,000 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
Work is project-based and irregular, so income swings wildly between busy shoots and dry spells. You'll invest thousands in camera gear that becomes outdated every few years. Long days on set are standard, and you're competing against people with years of industry connections you don't have yet. Pay often stays modest unless you land steady TV work.
Where the jobs are
Regional areas get occasional shoots but not enough for steady work. Remote work isn't realistic: you need to be on set. Jobs come through production companies, broadcasters, and freelance networks rather than job boards.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 3995, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Active Listeningcore
- Adapt artistic plan to locationcore
- Adapt to artists' creative demandscore
- Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Continuous Learning and Upskillingcore
- Digital Literacycore
- Multitaskingcore
- Problem Solvingcore
- Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
- Risk Identificationcore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Team Collaborationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Workflow Prioritisationcore
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
- Goal Setting and Planning
- Incident Reporting
- Process Improvement Identification
- Research and Analysis
- Workload Self-Management
- Written Communication
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
Want a hand with what comes next? The 12-week Sprint covers your resume, LinkedIn and interview practice, with up to three coach reviews of a targeted resume or an application from an Australian career coach, for A$299 paid once. Before you decide anything, you can read who we are or send us a question.