Arts, design, media and sports
Photographer
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.
Median pay
$44,660
Growth to 2035
−1%
little or no change
Openings a year
10,700
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Photographer
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Photographer: 48% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
- Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
- Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
- Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
Also called: Advertising Photographer · Commercial Photographer · Graduation Photographer · Newspaper Photographer · Photo Editor · Photographer · Photojournalist · Portrait Photographer
Outlook and AI
Photographers held 145,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 144,000 by 2035 (−1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as more images are generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools, substituting for some photographers.
Compare with
- Photographer vs. Photographic process workers and processing machine operators
- Photographer vs. Fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators
- Photographer vs. Graphic designer
- Photographer vs. Special effects artists and animators
- Photographer vs. Art director
- Photographer vs. Prepress technicians and workers
- Photographer vs. Film and video editors
- Photographer vs. Craft artist
- Photographer vs. Camera operators, television, video, and film
- Photographer vs. Writers and authors