Photographic and Film/Video Technology

Types of Degrees Photographic and Film/Video Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many photographic & film/video technology/technician & assistant graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	459
Associate Degree	358
Undergraduate Certificate	150
Bachelor’s Degree	89

What Photographic and Film/Video Technology Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to photographic and film/video technology were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Photographic and Film/Video Technology Majors

Photographic and Film/Video Technology majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Skills for Photographic and Film/Video Technology Majors

When studying photographic and film/video technology, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Abilities for Photographic and Film/Video Technology Majors

Photographic and Film/Video Technology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

What Can You Do With a Photographic and Film/Video Technology Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with photographic and film/video technology:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Audio and Video Equipment Technicians	12.8%	$43,770

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Photographic and Film/Video Technology?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 78% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of photographic and film/video technology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	6
Black or African American	9
Hispanic or Latino	3
White	59
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	10

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Photographic and Film/Video Technology. About 2.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Photographic and Film/Video Technology

Some careers associated with photographic and film/video technology require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to photographic and film/video technology have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	26.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	20.7%
Some College Courses	1.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	11.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	44.5%

Online Photographic and Film/Video Technology Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	46	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	73	1
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Photographic and Film/Video Technology

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to photographic and film/video technology.

Major	Number of Grads
Recording Arts Technology/Technician	3,397
Radio & Television Broadcasting Technology/Technician	1,619
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Other	685
Voice Writing Technology/Technician	7

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Joalpe under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.