Installation, maintenance and repair
Camera and photographic equipment repairers
Repair and adjust cameras and photographic equipment, including commercial video and motion picture camera equipment.
Median pay
$52,720
Growth to 2035
−15%
declining
Openings a year
100
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Camera and photographic equipment repairers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to camera and photographic equipment repairers
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Camera and photographic equipment repairers: 31% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Camera Repair Technician · Camera Repairman · Camera Technician · Photo Equipment Technician · Photo Technologist · Photographic Equipment Repair Technician · Photographic Equipment Technician · Photographic Technician (Photo Tech)
Outlook and AI
Camera and photographic equipment repairers held 1,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 1,500 by 2035 (−15%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Demand change - share decreases as fewer standalone cameras enter the market and as camera replacement becomes more cost-effective than camera repair.
Compare with
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Photographic process workers and processing machine operators
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Motion picture projectionist
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Lighting technician
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Camera and photographic equipment repairers vs. Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles