Creative pay 2026
Videographer salary in Virginia (2026)
Videographers and camera operators in Virginia earn a median $58,440 a year ($28.10 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 22% below the US median of $74,990; Virginia is 22nd of 47 states and territories. That is roughly what the typical job in Virginia pays ($55,690).
- $58,440median a year in Virginia
- $28.10median an hour
- −22%vs the US median ($74,990)
- 420employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a videographer in Virginia?
Half of videographers and camera operators in Virginia earn between $45,820 and $79,530. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.4 times the 10th, against 3.5 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $41,710 | $38,520 | $20.05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $45,820 | $50,920 | $22.03 |
| Median | $58,440 | $74,990 | $28.10 |
| 75th | $79,530 | $106,660 | $38.24 |
| 90th percentile | $98,870 | $135,180 | $47.54 |
The mean (average) is $66,460, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Virginia compare with other states?
Virginia sits 22nd of 47, between Louisiana ($58,440) and Idaho ($58,140).
| Kentucky | $53,790 | −8% | 170 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $65,870 | +13% | 290 |
| North Carolina | $62,720 | +7% | 380 |
| Tennessee | $57,030 | −2% | 460 |
| West Virginia | $43,390 | −26% | 60 |
| District of Columbia | $98,300 | +68% | 240 |
Which cities in Virginia pay videographers and camera operators best?
Of the 3 metro areas in Virginia where BLS publishes a median for the job, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays most, at $83,320, 43% above the state median.
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 500 | $83,320 | $40.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 90 | $45,820 | $22.03 |
| Richmond, VA | 50 | $55,120 | $26.50 |
How many videographers and camera operators work in Virginia?
BLS estimates 420 employee jobs, 0.1 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is rarer here than nationally: a location quotient of 0.74, where 1 is the US average.
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 Virginia?
5 of the 6 other creative jobs below pay a higher median in Virginia.
| Copywriter | $85,000 | 1,530 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion designer | $81,510 | 380 |
| Video editor | $78,740 | n/a |
| UX/UI designer | $77,140 | 1,990 |
| Graphic designer | $72,310 | 4,740 |
| Photographer | $46,550 | 1,580 |
What do freelance videographers and camera operators charge?
Upwork, videographers list $10 to $53 an hour, worldwide. Virginia's employee median of $28.10 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 Virginia?
The median is $58,440 a year and the mean is $66,460, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 420 employee jobs.
How much does a videographer make an hour in Virginia?
The median hourly wage is $28.10. The bottom 10% earn under $20.05 and the top 10% over $47.54.
What does a starting videographer earn in Virginia?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of videographers and camera operators in Virginia earn under $45,820 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $41,710, 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 = 420 jobs in the Virginia estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
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