Videography
The short answer: Videography, selling or licensing your videos including commissioned work, is closest to camera operators in television, video and film, whose employees earned a median $74,990 a year in May 2025 per the BLS; that is employee pay, not side-hustle income. The catch is the spread: employed camera operators earned $38,520 at the 10th percentile and $135,180 at the 90th in May 2025. (BLS OEWS) Videography suits people willing to edit as well as shoot, since commissioned videography typically includes editing and post-production of the footage. (O*NET 31.0)
| Median pay of employed camera operators, television, video, and film | $36.05/hr ($74,990/yr) BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employee pay, not side-hustle income |
|---|---|
| Projected job growth, camera operators, television, video, and film | +1.3% BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 |
| One creator's reported earnings | $50–$60/hr Reported by Chris Koerner, Apr 2024 |
From 3 quotes by 2 creators and BLS data. A creator figure is one person's account.
Go deeper: every source on videography
How much do videographers make?
Videographers can compare against BLS employee pay: employed camera operators in television, video and film earned a median $36.05 an hour, and employed film and video editors a median $75,420 a year, in May 2025. Video length moves the price for Nathan Cool Photo, a real estate videographer on YouTube, who keeps most property videos under 60 seconds and charges more for longer ones. (BLS OEWS; Nathan Cool Photo)
| Related occupation | Median pay | Middle 80% |
|---|---|---|
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | $36.05/hr ($74,990/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $38,520–$135,180/yr |
| Film and Video Editors | $36.26/hr ($75,420/yr), BLS OEWS, May 2025 | $40,280–$148,550/yr |
Median annual pay of employed camera operators, television, video, and film: $74,990 nationally; highest and lowest states below (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Highest-paying states | Median | Lowest-paying states | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $106,900/yr | West Virginia | $43,390/yr |
| Illinois | $100,170/yr | Puerto Rico | $38,380/yr |
| District of Columbia | $98,300/yr | Maine | $37,590/yr |
What do people doing videography say?
“we're right now we're pretty low at 50 or $60.00 an hour just to kind of build up the profile”
“one of the big mistakes that I see a lot of videographers make when they first get into doing real estate video is that they want perfection, and so they're going to shoot in some type of raw format like log, S-log, or something like that.”
“We do travel and we do a decent amount of projects remotely.”
What does it cost to start videography?
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track states a startup cost yet.
- Pick a market: real estate, weddings and events are among the drone video work one podcast lists. (Side Hustles To Earn Extra Cash)
- Shoot straight out of camera rather than log, as Nathan advises, to cut editing time. (Nathan Cool Photo)
- Edit with straight cuts of 3-4 second segments instead of transitions.
How much time does videography take?
Not enough evidence yet: No source we track says how long the first payout takes or how many hours it needs yet.
Who is videography as a side hustle for?
Videography for real estate, as Nathan Cool Photo describes it, means showing only the highlights (exterior, pool, kitchen, baths) with simple moves like push-ins, orbits and pedestal reveals, so it suits someone who prefers fast, simple edits to polished productions. Nathan warns that new real estate videographers who want perfection shoot in log or S-log, so perfectionists should expect to change habits. (Nathan Cool Photo)
Which platforms do people use for videography?
Platforms people doing videography use: Adobe Stock, Shutterstock.
Is videography worth it as a side hustle?
Pros
- A camera drone opens several videography markets, including real estate, wedding and event videos, according to one podcast. (Side Hustles To Earn Extra Cash)
- BLS projects demand for camera operators as stable, with film and video editor employment growing 3.7% over 2025-35. (BLS Employment Projections)
Cons
- Employment of camera operators is projected to grow only 1.3% over 2025-35, per the BLS. (BLS Employment Projections)
- Employee pay for camera operators depends heavily on location, from a $37,590 median in Maine to $106,900 in California in May 2025. (BLS OEWS)
What are the risks of videography as a side hustle?
The videography pitfall Nathan Cool Photo names is shooting real estate video in log or raw formats, which adds editing time the pay doesn't justify. Nathan's real estate video also promotes his own courses and books, so weigh his advice with that in mind. (Nathan Cool Photo)
What are the alternatives to videography?
- Photography side hustle: Often covered together (1 shared video).
- Personal Shopper as a side hustle: Also in local services.
Videography side hustle FAQ: what else should you know?
Does videography include selling stock footage?
Yes: this hustle covers selling or licensing your videos as well as commissioned work.
Do real estate videos need music?
Nathan Cool Photo reuses free soundtracks in his property videos. (Nathan Cool Photo)
Sources and method
Quotes are verbatim and linked to the moment they were said. A figure from one report is not confirmed by a second source. BLS figures describe employees in the closest related occupation. Every quote, the pay in each state and the full source list are on the every source on videography.
- Nathan Cool Photo, YouTube, 26 Oct 2026.
- Side Hustles To Earn Extra Cash, podcast, 18 Oct 2023.
- Chris Koerner, podcast, 1 Apr 2024.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, 31.0.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
Other data behind this page (4)
| Fact | Value | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common pitfalls | shooting real estate video in log/raw formats, which adds editing time the pay doesn't justify | Accepted | Nathan Cool Photo |
| Demand trend | stable | Accepted | BLS Employment Projections |
| Nearest occupation | Producers and Directors | Accepted | O*NET 31.0 |
| Projected employment change, 10 years: film and video editors | 3.7% | Official statistic | BLS Employment Projections |