Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators in the UK earned a median £32,643 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 16% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
That puts it 235th of 382, in the middle third of occupations.
The mean, £39,665, is 22% above the median, a sign of a few very high earners.
Median full-time pay: women £30,407 a year, men £32,819 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 24,000 employee jobs, 83% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 30.0% (from £25,118), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 81,300 people in this line of work, 13% of them in South East.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | £491.60 | £12.84 | – | £275.50* | £12.53 |
| 20th percentile | £26,293 | £539.80 | £13.53 | £21,802* | £430.90* | £13.33 |
| 25th percentile | £26,942 | £567.80 | £14.25 | £23,931* | £497.40* | £13.54 |
| 30th percentile | £28,433 | £574.90 | £14.49 | £25,956 | £524.60 | £14.03 |
| 40th percentile | £30,415 | £613.30 | £15.56 | £28,418 | £568.80 | £14.83 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £32,643 | £644.20 | £17.32 | £30,396 | £613.30 | £16.71 |
| 60th percentile | £35,257 | £683.10 | £17.89 | £32,819 | £648.90 | £17.56 |
| 70th percentile | £36,415* | £731.50 | £19.04 | £35,376* | £696.50 | £18.27 |
| 75th percentile | – | £781.60* | £19.84 | £36,213* | £732.10 | £19.61 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | £783.30* | £20.47* |
| Mean | £39,665* | £704.00 | £18.13 | £35,229* | £624.50 | £17.91 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £25,118 | £477.10 | £12.56 | £24,684 | £462.00 | 16* |
| 2022 revised | £25,039* | £531.80 | £13.42 | £23,728* | £481.40 | 21* |
| 2023 revised | £29,858 | £566.50 | £15.20 | £27,927 | £536.60 | 26* |
| 2024 revised | £29,709 | £574.90 | £15.24 | £27,971 | £536.60 | 26 |
| 2025 provisional | £32,643 | £644.20 | £17.32 | £30,396 | £613.30 | 24* |
Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators by region
UK: 81,300 (± 11,100), April 2025 to March 2026. 9 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 10,600* | ± 4,100 |
| South West | 9,900* | ± 3,600 |
| Scotland | 9,500* | ± 3,500 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators do
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. (ONS SOC 2020, 3417)
Also covers: audio visual technician, cameraman, commercial drone pilot, digital imaging technician, lighting designer, photographer, projectionist, sound engineer, theatre technician (entertainment), audio-visual manager, av technician, backline technician, backstage technician, boom operator, broadcast technician, camera operator, cameraman's assistant and cine technician (84 titles in the ONS coding index).
- 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
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.
Related
Artistic, literary and media occupations (median £39,135) · Arts officers, producers and directors · Musicians · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Mean
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026