Cinematographer
Designs and executes the image for film and commercial work. Crew leadership matters as much as the lens choice.
- Pay band (est.)
- $69k–$131k
- Time to competence
- 9 years
- Licence
- None
- Setting
- mixed
- Leverage
- high
- Place constraint
- high
- Physical demand
- 65/100
- Hours burden
- 85/100
Factor percentiles
Percentile against the whole curated set. Higher is better on that factor only.
- Play90th
Absorbing rather than merely paid.
- Specific knowledge89th
A combination of skills that is hard to copy.
- Leverage86th
Output that scales through code, media, capital or crew.
- Demand25th
Durability and shortage, scored conservatively.
- Pay48th
Mid-career floor and the range above it.
- Body14th
Inverse of physical demand and hours.
- Autonomy69th
Control of methods and time.
- People fit49th
Distance from your preferred people level.
- Place flexibility12th
Remote fit and freedom from specific metros.
- Time to skill8th
Inverse of years to competence.
- Meaning load50th
Closeness to the families you marked as meaningful. Your mapping, not ours.
- Downside tolerance28th
Inverse of named risk to body, market or platform.
Downside
Project-to-project income; 14-hour days; a few production cities.
Examine this against your weights
The percentiles above use the default weights. Set your own on the ranking and this vocation moves with them.
- Place constraint is high. Where you live is analysed at locationistics.com.
- Hours burden is 85/100 and people intensity 75/100. Who you are with is analysed at relationistics.com.
Source note: BLS OEWS May 2024, Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film (27-4031): median $68,810, 90th percentile $131,420. Outlook from BLS 2025-35 projections, +1.3%. Other scores editorial. All figures are estimates for comparison.