Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers
Also called: Camera Repair Technician, Camera Repairman, Camera Technician, Photo Equipment Technician
US median pay
$52,720
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-15.5%
declining
Openings a year (US)
100
1,800 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
Repair and adjust cameras and photographic equipment, including commercial video and motion picture camera equipment.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Measure parts to verify specified dimensions or settings, such as camera shutter speed or light meter reading accuracy, using measuring instruments.
- Fabricate or modify defective electronic, electrical, or mechanical components, using bench lathe, milling machine, shaper, grinder, or precision hand tools, according to specifications.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Troubleshooting3.9/5
- Repairing3.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.4/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.4/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Operations Monitoring3.0/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.9/5
- Computers and Electronics3.7/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.6/5
- English Language3.5/5
- Engineering and Technology3.3/5
- Administrative2.8/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma32%
- Post-secondary certificate28%
- Less than high school13%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.