Photographers

Median salary

$44,660

Average salary

$55,410

Employment

51,760

Projected growth

1.8% growth

Annual openings

12,700

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Photographers Do

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 66.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.7/5
Sales and Marketingimportance 4.5/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.2/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.9/5
English Languageimportance 3.7/5
Communications and Mediaimportance 3.7/5
Fine Artsimportance 3.5/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail5.0/5
Telephone Conversations4.9/5
Contact With Others4.5/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4/5
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.3/5
Level of Competition4.2/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Opticians, Dispensing93% skill match
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons93% skill match
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary92% skill match
Film and Video Editors92% skill match
Nurse Practitioners92% skill match
Prosthodontists92% skill match
Skincare Specialists91% skill match
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles91% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Service Orientationimportance 3.3/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
Instructingimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

In-Demand Technologies

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Other Software Used

Apple Final Cut Pro
Blinkbid
Cradoc fotoBiz
Email software
Genbook
Google Drive
HindSight InView
Light Blue Software Light Blue

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Innovation
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Adaptability
Perseverance
Initiative
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ArtisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
EnterprisingLow
InvestigativeLow
SocialLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where photographers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1Kahului-Wailuku, HI4.04× national avg
2Asheville, NC2.69× national avg
3Bozeman, MT2.51× national avg
4Vallejo, CA2.25× national avg
5Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL2.08× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

Film and Video EditorsAdvancement
Opticians, DispensingCareer Change
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness InstructorsCareer Change
Detectives and Criminal InvestigatorsCareer Change

See the full career path from Photographers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.