Photographers

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

118k

Average Age

Estimated Job Growth

1.85%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$47,610

Average Male Salary

$55,183

Average Female Salary

$38,754

About

Photographers are most often employed by the Other professional, scientific & technical services industry. The average yearly wage for Photographers was $47,610 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Photographers are NYC-Brooklyn Community District 1--Williamsburg & Greenpoint PUMA, NY, Utah County (West)--Saratoga Springs, Payson & Lehi (Southwest) Cities PUMA, UT, and Atlanta Regional Commission--Fulton County (Central)--Atlanta City (Southwest) PUMA, GA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Photographers are Broward County (NNW)--Coral Springs (North), Parkland, & Coconut Creek (North) Cities PUMA, FL, Atlanta Regional Commission--Fulton County (Central)--Atlanta City (Southwest) PUMA, GA, and Allegheny County (North Central) PUMA, PA.

Photo by Kristoffer Trolle

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Education, legal, community service, arts, & media occupations Arts, design, entertainment, sports, & media occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Photographers workforce. Photographers workforce in 2024 was 117,868 people, of which 46.1% were women and 53.9% were men. Photographers are paid most in Los Angeles County (Central)--LA City (Central) PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Broward County (NNW)--Coral Springs (North), Parkland, & Coconut Creek (North) Cities PUMA, FL.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

63,537

Male Workforce

± 6.19k

54,331

Female Workforce

± 5.72k

The Photographers workforce in 2024 was 117,868 people (46.1% women and 53.9% men). This implies an average annual growth of 18.6% between 2014 (99,342) and 2024 (117,868).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Photographers.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were District of Columbia ($68,378), Mississippi ($66,327), and New York ($63,684).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$47,610

AVERAGE WAGE

#319 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Photographers earned an average of $47,610, $22,268 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Photographers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Photographers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.471, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Photographers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Photographers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Photographers and on wages for those in the field. Other professional, scientific & technical services is the industry that employs the most Photographers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Photographers, by average wage, is Architectural, engineering & related services ($107,982).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

118k

2024 Workforce

± 8,426

1.17%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 10%

This graphic shows the share of Photographers employed by various industries. Other professional, scientific & technical services employs the largest share of Photographers at 79.2%, followed by Independent artists, writers, and performers with 7.66% and Broadcasting & content providers with 7.36%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Photographers in the US. The workforce of Photographers in 2024 was 117,868 people, with 46.1% woman, and 53.9% men. The average age of male Photographers in the workforce is 41.4 and of female Photographers is 36.2, and the most common race/ethnicity for Photographers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Photographers in 2024 was 117,868 people, with 46.1% woman, and 53.9% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (17,912 people), 25 to 29 years (17,637 people), and 35 to 39 years (16,783 people). Among them they concentrated 44.5% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 13.8% of Photographers workers were Hispanic and 86.2% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (49.3%), Puerto Rican (13.4)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (7.1)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 71.1% of the Photographers workforce were White, of which 48.7% were women and 51.3% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Two or More Races (11.1%) and Black (7.61%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Photographers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Photographers is Visual & Performing Arts but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Visual & Performing Arts.

Among the necessary skills for Photographers, Active Listening stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Photographers need more than the average amount of Equipment Selection.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Photographers in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Visual & Performing Arts (15,940 people), Communications (11,328 people), and Business (6,721 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Photographers workers were Bachelors Degree (48,119 people), Some college (27,030 people), and High School or Equivalent (16,067 people).

The graphic shows the Photographers workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Photographers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Photographers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Photographers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Photographers are expected to see a growth of 1.85% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

1.85%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Photographers. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.