An operator is a professional

Professional

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...

 designation used in various industries, including broadcast

Broadcast

Broadcast or Broadcasting may refer to:* Broadcasting, the transmission of audio and video signals* Broadcast, an individual television program or radio program* Broadcast , an English electronic music band...

ing (in television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 and radio

Radio

Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...

), computing

Computing

Computing is usually defined as the activity of using and improving computer hardware and software. It is the computer-specific part of information technology...

, customer service

Customer service

Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.According to Turban et al. , “Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer...

, physics

Physics

Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...

, and construction

Construction

In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...

. Operators are day-to-day end users of systems, that may or may not be mission-critical, but are typically managed and maintained by technician

Technician

A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...

s or engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

s. They might also work on a 24-hour rotating shift

Shift work

Shift work is an employment practice designed to make use of the 24 hours of the clock. The term "shift work" includes both long-term night shifts and work schedules in which employees change or rotate shifts....

 schedule.

Types of operators

Broadcasting:

• Technical operator, transmission controller or broadcast operator:
  • Network operations center
    Network Operations Center
    A network operations center is one or more locations from which control is exercised over a computer, television broadcast, or telecommunications network....
    
     (NOC) operator
  • Master control
    Master control
    Master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations and television networks. It is distinct from a production control room in television studios where the activities such as switching from camera to camera are coordinated...
    
     (MCR) operator
  • Production control room (PCR) operator
  • Transmission control room
    Transmission control room
    Transmission control room or 'transmission suite', or 'Tx room', or "presentation" is a room at broadcast facilities and television stations around the world. Compared to a Master Control Room, it's usually smaller in size and is a scaled down version of centralcasting...
    
     (TCR) operator
  • Video tape operator (VTO)
  • Certified Television Operator
    Certified Television Operator
    Certified Television Operator is a title granted to an individual that successfully passes the examination requirements of the certification in the United States. The certification is regulated by the Society of Broadcast Engineers. The CTO title is protected by copyright laws...
    
     (CTO) by Society of Broadcast Engineers
    Society of Broadcast Engineers
    The Society of Broadcast Engineers or SBE is a professional organization for engineers in broadcast radio and television. The SBE also offers certification in various radio frequency and audio technology areas for its members.- History :...
    
     (SBE)
  • Certified Radio Operator
    Certified Radio Operator
    Certified Radio Operator is a title granted to an individual that successfully passes the examination requirements of the certification. The certification is regulated by the Society of Broadcast Engineers. The CRO title is protected by copyright laws. Individuals who use the title without consent...
    
     (CRO) operator - by (SBE)
• Studio
  Television studio
  A television studio is an installation in which a video productions take place, either for the recording of live television to video tape, or for the acquisition of raw footage for post-production. The design of a studio is similar to, and derived from, movie studios, with a few amendments for the...
  
   technical operator (gallery operator):
  • Vision mixer
    Vision mixer
    A vision mixer is a device used to select between several different video sources and in some cases Compositing video sources together to create special effects...
    
     operator - technical director
    Technical director
    The Technical Director or Technical Manager is usually a senior technical person within a software company, film studio, theatrical company or television studio...
    
     (TD)
  • Sound
    Sound
    Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
    
     and comms (talkback
    Talkback (recording)
    In sound recording, talkback refers to the intercom system used in recording studios and production control rooms in television studios to enable personnel to communicate with people in the recording area or booth...
    
    ) studio operator

• Camera operator
  Camera operator
  A camera operator or cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer, depending on...
  
  
  • Jib (camera)
    Jib (camera)
    In cinematography, a jib is a boom device with a camera on one end, and a counterweight and camera controls on the other. It operates like a see-saw, but with the balance point located close to the counterweight, so that the camera end of the arm can move through an extended arc. A jib permits the...
    
     operator
• Boom operator
  Boom operator (media)
  A Boom operator is an assistant of the production sound mixer. The principal responsibility of the boom operator is microphone placement, sometimes using a "fishpole" with a microphone attached to the end and sometimes, when the situation permits, using a "boom" which is a more intricate and...
  
  
• Dolly grip
  Dolly grip
  In cinematography, the dolly grip dedicated technician trained to operate the camera dolly. The individual places, levels, and moves the dolly track, then pushes and pulls the dolly and usually a camera operator and camera assistant as riders. If the dolly has a moveable vertical axis, such as a...
  
   operator

Other:

• Computer operator
  Computer operator
  A role within IT, computer operators oversee the running of computer systems, ensuring that the machines are running and physically secured. The traditional role of a computer operator was to work with mainframes which required a great deal of management day-to-day, however nowaday they often work...
  
  
• Crane
  Crane (machine)
  A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
  
   operator
• Radio operator
• Satellite controller
• Telephone operator
  Telephone operator
  A telephone operator is either* a person who provides assistance to a telephone caller, usually in the placing of operator assisted telephone calls such as calls from a pay phone, collect calls , calls which are billed to a credit card, station-to-station and person-to-person calls, and certain...
  
  
• Winch
  Winch
  A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in or let out or otherwise adjust the "tension" of a rope or wire rope . In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and...
  
  operator
• Nuclear power plant operator