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Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers: Job Description

Repair and adjust cameras and photographic equipment, including commercial video and motion picture camera equipment.

What Do Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers Do?

The core tasks performed by camera and photographic equipment repairers include:

• Adjust cameras, photographic mechanisms, or equipment such as range and view finders, shutters, light meters, or lens systems, using hand tools.
• Disassemble equipment to gain access to defect, using hand tools.
• Test equipment performance, focus of lens system, diaphragm alignment, lens mounts, or film transport, using precision gauges.
• Clean and lubricate cameras and polish camera lenses, using cleaning materials and work aids.
• Requisition parts or materials.
• Calibrate and verify accuracy of light meters, shutter diaphragm operation, or lens carriers, using timing instruments.
• Examine cameras, equipment, processed film, or laboratory reports to diagnose malfunction, using work aids and specifications.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, diagrams, instructions, or specifications to determine needed repairs, fabrication method, and operation sequence.

Skills and Knowledge

Successful camera and photographic equipment repairers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Related Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

• Aircraft Photographic Equipment Mechanic
• Aircraft Photographic Equipment Repairer
• Camera Machinist
• Camera Mechanic
• Camera Prototyping Engineer
• Camera Repair Specialist
• Camera Repair Technician
• Camera Repairer

Employment and Demand

There are roughly 558,289 camera and photographic equipment repairers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -2.1% over the projection horizon.

Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers Pay

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$58,976
Hourly median	$28.35
10th percentile	$34,510
25th percentile	$46,743
75th percentile	$71,209
90th percentile	$83,442

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

How Much Do Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers Make in Different U.S. States?

State	Annual median salary
Virginia	$70,420
California	$67,060
Indiana	$61,130
New York	$56,340
New Jersey	$55,540
Texas	$50,780
District of Columbia	$49,290
Georgia	$47,700
Ohio	$47,550
Florida	$47,190
Iowa	$46,220
Tennessee	$43,850
North Carolina	$36,180

Pay by U.S. Region

Earnings for camera and photographic equipment repairers vary by region. Top regions by median wage:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Far Western US	$67,060	42.2%	1.50
Southeast	$56,643	22.9%	1.30
Middle Atlantic	$55,540	7.2%	1.11
Great Lakes	$54,340	12.0%	0.95
Southwest	$50,780	9.6%	0.43
Plains States	$46,220	6.0%	2.33

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	NY	$58,850	70
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	CA	$58,210
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	DC	$49,290
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	GA	$48,770
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	FL	$45,730
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	TN	$43,850

Top Industries Employing Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers

The largest employers of camera and photographic equipment repairers work in these industries:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Other Services (except Public Administration)	250	$47,740
Wholesale Trade	190	$67,060
Retail Trade	70	$48,770
Manufacturing	50	$59,010
Educational Services	50	$48,120
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	30	$44,430

Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers work in the following industries:

Software Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers Use

• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The on-the-job environment of camera and photographic equipment repairers tends to involve the following characteristics:

• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Freedom to Make Decisions
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals

Getting Started in This Career

Typical camera and photographic equipment repairers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.

Related Careers

Similar Occupations

• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Long)
• Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Long)
• Calibration Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Short)
• Photonics Technicians (Supplemental)
• Lighting Technicians (Primary-Short)
• Motion Picture Projectionists (Primary-Short)
• Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers (Primary-Long)

Degree Programs

Students preparing for camera and photographic equipment repairers commonly pursue programs in:

Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians

1 programs across 1 majors

• Precision Systems Maintenance

References

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 49-9061.00 (Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers).