Alright, let’s talk about how much them NFL cameramen fellas make, you know, the ones holding them big cameras at the football games. I heard it ain’t too shabby, but it ain’t like winning the lottery neither. It’s a job, just like any other job, gotta work for your money, that’s what I always say.
So, from what I gathered, these camera fellas, they ain’t all the same. Some are just regular camera operators, and some are fancy cinematographers. Big words, I know, but it just means some fellas got more experience and do fancier stuff. The regular camera folks, they make somethin’ like, uh, between 42,000 and 75,000 dollars a year. That’s a pretty penny, ain’t it? But that’s the whole shebang, you know, the salary and maybe some extra bits they get.
Now, if you average it all out, a regular camera operator at the NFL, they get around 56,000 dollars a year. That’s what I heard, at least. That ain’t bad, considerin’ you get to watch football games for a livin’. But don’t be thinkin’ it’s all easy peasy. Them fellas gotta lug them heavy cameras around, stand out in the cold, and make sure they get all the good shots. It’s hard work, I tell ya.
Then you got them cinematographer fellas. They the fancy ones, like I said. They make more money, somethin’ like 67,000 to 122,000 dollars a year. The average for them is around 80,000 dollars a year. See, more money for more fancy work. That’s how it goes in this world, always has been, always will be. If you know more, you get more, simple as that.
But here’s the thing, that money ain’t just for showin’ up and pointin’ a camera. The NFL, that’s a big deal. They got them games on TV every week, and millions of folks watchin’. So, they need a lot of cameras, like, 12 to 20 cameras for just one game! And they got a whole bunch of people workin’ behind the scenes, maybe 150 or 200 people for one game. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, you know. So, them camera fellas gotta be good at what they do, gotta be on their toes all the time.
- Regular Camera Operators: $42,000 – $75,000 per year
- Average Camera Operator Salary: $56,000 per year
- Cinematographers: $67,000 – $122,000 per year
- Average Cinematographer Salary: $80,000 per year
Now, I heard some folks say that the average camera operator for other sports, not just football, they make around 56,000 dollars too. So, it seems like the NFL ain’t too different from the rest. But don’t forget, that’s just an average. Some folks might make more, some might make less. It all depends on how good you are, how long you been doin’ it, and who you workin’ for.
And speakin’ of workin’ for someone, if you work for a place like ESPN, which is another big TV channel that shows sports, they pay their camera folks by the hour. Somethin’ like 22.67 dollars an hour, I heard. So, if you work a lot of hours, you make a lot of money, if you don’t, you don’t. That’s how it goes with hourly pay, you know.
So, if you’re thinkin’ about becomin’ a sports camera operator, well, you gotta learn how to use them cameras first. Some folks go to college for that, learn all the technical stuff. And then you gotta get some experience, start small maybe, and work your way up. It ain’t easy, but if you work hard and you’re good at it, you can make a decent livin’. That’s what I told my grandson, “Work hard, boy, and you’ll get somewhere.” He just grunted at me, kids these days.
Anyways, that’s the scoop on how much them NFL camera fellas make. It ain’t a get-rich-quick scheme, but it’s a good job for folks who like sports and don’t mind workin’ hard. And who knows, maybe you’ll even get to see your favorite team win a game or two. That’d be somethin’, wouldn’t it? But at the end of the day, work is work, and money is money. Gotta earn your keep, no matter what you do. And that’s all there is to it, simple as pie.
Tags: NFL, Camera Operator, Salary, Cinematographer, Sports, Television, Earnings, Career, Pay, Football
