How to become a photographer, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operator

Official title: Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators

Also called: Vt operator, Photographer, Boom operator, Tape operator, Audio engineer, Photo operator, Video operator, Camera operator, Cinema operator, Telecine operator, Limelight operator, Technical operator

Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators operate and assist with still, cine and television cameras, operate other equipment and software to record, manipulate and project sound and vision for entertainment, cultural, commercial and industrial purposes, including digital and interactive media; and operate drones to provide aerial video and photographs.

Main tasks

• Selects subject and conceives composition of picture or discusses composition with colleagues
• Arranges subject, lighting, camera equipment and any microphones
• Inserts lenses and adjusts aperture and speed settings as necessary
• Operates scanning equipment to transfer image to computer and manipulates image to achieve the desired effect
• Photographs subject or follows action by moving camera
• Takes, records and manipulates digital images and digital video footage
• Controls transmission, broadcasting and satellite systems for television and radio programmes, identifies and solves related technical problems
• Checks operation and positioning of projectors, vision and sound recording equipment, and mixing and dubbing equipment

How to become one

There are no set academic requirements although entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades, A levels/H grades and are able to demonstrate proof of pre- entry work experience. A variety of diplomas, degrees and postgraduate qualifications are available. Vocational qualifications in Photography are available at levels 1,2 and 3.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Assistant recording technician (level 4). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0944.
• Apprenticeship (England): Broadcast and media systems technical operator (level 3). England. Typically 22 months. Skills England standard ST0424.
• Apprenticeship (England): Camera prep technician (level 3). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0900.
• Apprenticeship (England): Post production technical operator (level 4). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0696.
• University: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 26 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £32,643 a year The middle half earn £26,942 to null.
• About 94,500 people work in this job now, and about 105,000 are projected by 2035. (+11.1%)

Related jobs

• Musicians
• Arts officers, producers and directors
• Artists
• Authors, writers and translators
• Actors, entertainers and presenters
• Dancers and choreographers

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Questions people ask

How do I become a photographer, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operator?

There are no set academic requirements although entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades, A levels/H grades and are able to demonstrate proof of pre- entry work experience. A variety of diplomas, degrees and postgraduate qualifications are available. Vocational qualifications in Photography are available at levels 1,2 and 3.

How much does a photographer, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operator earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £32,643 a year (Office for National Statistics).

Is a photographer, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operator a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 94,500 to about 105,000 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a photographer, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operator?

Not always. 55% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Creative Arts & Design degrees; Assistant recording technician (level 4).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.