Creative pay 2026
Videographer salary in Michigan (2026)
Videographers and camera operators in Michigan earn a median $55,290 a year ($26.58 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 26% below the US median of $74,990; Michigan is 28th of 47 states and territories. The median for every job in Michigan is $49,270, so this pays 12% more than the typical job there.
- $55,290median a year in Michigan
- $26.58median an hour
- −26%vs the US median ($74,990)
- 380employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a videographer in Michigan?
Half of videographers and camera operators in Michigan earn between $45,720 and $67,560. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.1 times the 10th, against 3.5 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $38,280 | $38,520 | $18.40 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $45,720 | $50,920 | $21.98 |
| Median | $55,290 | $74,990 | $26.58 |
| 75th | $67,560 | $106,660 | $32.48 |
| 90th percentile | $81,030 | $135,180 | $38.96 |
The mean (average) is $58,780, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Michigan compare with other states?
Michigan sits 28th of 47, between Indiana ($56,810) and Kentucky ($53,790).
Which cities in Michigan pay videographers and camera operators best?
Of the 2 metro areas in Michigan where BLS publishes a median for the job, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood pays most, at $63,720, 15% above the state median.
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 170 | $57,690 | $27.73 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 60 | $63,720 | $30.64 |
How many videographers and camera operators work in Michigan?
BLS estimates 380 employee jobs, 0.09 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is rarer here than nationally: a location quotient of 0.62, where 1 is the US average. The employment estimate is rough: its relative standard error is 19%.
Employees only. BLS does not count the self-employed, who are a large share of several creative jobs.
What do other creative jobs pay in Michigan?
Every other creative job here pays a higher median than videographers and camera operators do.
| Motion designer | $86,630 | 230 |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI designer | $81,010 | 1,750 |
| Video editor | $59,100 | 360 |
| Graphic designer | $57,350 | 6,070 |
What do freelance videographers and camera operators charge?
Upwork, videographers list $10 to $53 an hour, worldwide. Michigan's employee median of $26.58 an hour is inside that range. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average videographer salary in Michigan?
The median is $55,290 a year and the mean is $58,780, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 380 employee jobs.
How much does a videographer make an hour in Michigan?
The median hourly wage is $26.58. The bottom 10% earn under $18.40 and the top 10% over $38.96.
What does a starting videographer earn in Michigan?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of videographers and camera operators in Michigan earn under $45,720 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $38,280, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
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Where do these numbers come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (published 15 May 2026). Occupation 27-4031, Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film. Employees only; annual figures are hourly times 2,080.
n = 380 jobs in the Michigan estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
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