one search. all jobs. Indeed
 
 
 

Forums > Job > Master Control Operator
 

What are typical master control operator salaries?
Get new comments by email
You can cancel email alerts at anytime.
Comments (15)

Host

Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

Reply - Report abuse

br mco in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

57 months ago

if you work in baton rouge, la you will get cheated due to a high number of mass comm. graduates from lsu and southern. the nbc/fox station is run by a complete idiot who is running it into the ground and cannot afford to pat people what they are worth.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes (6) / No (1) Reply - Report abuse

dgruler in Cleveland, Tennessee

56 months ago

According to online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/27-4012.00

Median wages (2005) $14.62 hourly, $30,410 annual

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

Paulo in Toronto, Ontario

50 months ago

I make over $50k/annually CDN as a Master Control operator for a Canadian televisions service provider.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

dude in La Crosse, Wisconsin

37 months ago

I'm an MCO in Wisconsin and I make less than $9 an hour, but the job here isn't as sophisticated as in other places.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

volta in Los Angeles, California

37 months ago

i make $19.75 in Santa Monica, CA as MCO

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

Ex-Op in Eugene, Oregon

31 months ago

Wow I was making $9 a hour, talk about cheated.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

BroadCrast in Buffalo, New York

29 months ago

Host said: Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

I've worked in broadcast for 12 years in buffalo, after many layoffs and cutbacks I'm now PT. I make just $13.00 an hour, Learning new skills is a waste of time for me as I've done every job in broadcast and have worked for everyone. Now my company has reduced qualifications for new hire MCOs to just a high school diploma starting pay $10 to $12 an hour.....Slap me in the face.... and guess who gets to play teacher to all the kids they hire. Now because of my experience I've had to: pick up the slack of others, do repairs and install equipment, IT, or just clean up after the children who don't care as the pay sucks. Maybe my station can hold another job fair with no intention of hiring. But hey it's great for PR.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

SquareNickel in Pompano Beach, Florida

27 months ago

Host said: Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

HBO Latin America in Sunrise, Florida and Discovery Communications in Miami pay about $30,000 to start for a master control operator. After five years you may be able to advance to as high as $36,000, then you hit the ceiling.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

leslesver in Ottumwa, Iowa

27 months ago

SquareNickel in Pompano Beach, Florida said: HBO Latin America in Sunrise, Florida and Discovery Communications in Miami pay about $30,000 to start for a master control operator. After five years you may be able to advance to as high as $36,000, then you hit the ceiling.

I'm a MCO in Iowa making 9 an hour. Over worked, under paid.
The part-time positions are a revolving door. Constantly training and constantly covering.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

MIAMCO in Los Angeles, California

26 months ago

I was an MCO for a major studio in Los Angeles. My pay rate went as high as 42 grand on a five year length. I went off the air for over a minute one night during programming and was fired the next day. An equal trade of value of one minute for five years of service. Who knew? I discovered the next day the rate went down to 12 bucks an hour, un-benefited. The position has been filled the next day. I now work for an oil consulting firm making a comfortable salary with 10% of the stress.
I do miss the racing of my heart and my left arm pulsing at the switch during live to air.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes (3) / No Reply - Report abuse

MCO no mo in Paradise

20 months ago

I was making $24.00 an hour in Washington State at a larger market union station. Decent wage for sure, but I worked every weekend and every holiday. The stress was awful. MCOs get no respect anywhere. Usually you will be stuck in MC forever, because if you are good at it, they won't let you try anything different like production.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes (4) / No Reply - Report abuse

Rockstar Ricky in Omaha, Nebraska

5 months ago

I worked only weekends MCO, paid only 9.50 hr. I couldn't even get a second job because they needed me to be available so i was forced to leave. I liked the work but couldn't afford to stay.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

lade off in Shreveport, Louisiana

3 months ago

I was a MCO here in shreveport la makeing 8.00 hr but I was lade off I worked 4:30AM to 4:30 pm on weekends but they lade me off nexstar the company that own KTAL TV channel 6 layed me off I was not pade what I was worth

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

FABIANO in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2 months ago

Paulo in Toronto, Ontario said: I make over $50k/annually CDN as a Master Control operator for a Canadian televisions service provider.

Don't you have an open position? I work at TV Gazeta (Globo) as a Master Control Operator for 12 years.

- Was this comment helpful? Yes / No Reply - Report abuse

Your Reply

change location - create a profile
User Name
 in Beverly Hills, California
Your Comment
Your Email Address
Enter the numbers you see in the box
CAPTCHA Image

Be Reasonable! Be Polite! Please read our Terms of Service and Forum Rules, where it notes that you are responsible for your own comments. You may post anonymously - but we reserve the right to remove inappropriate comments at any time.

RSS Feed Icon Subscribe to this discussion as an RSS feed.

Moderate this forum