How to become a camera and photographic equipment repairer

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

Steps to get there

Most employers expect most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree..Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

What camera and photographic equipment repairers do

• 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.
• Calibrate and verify accuracy of light meters, shutter diaphragm operation, or lens carriers, using timing instruments.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, diagrams, instructions, or specifications to determine needed repairs, fabrication method, and operation sequence.

Skills that matter most

• Critical Thinking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Active Learning
• Monitoring
• Writing
• Learning Strategies

Is camera and photographic equipment repairer a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 3% above the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Ohio $85,070
• New Jersey $60,290
• Georgia $49,320
• New York $48,280
• Florida $41,290

Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.