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Life As a Photographer
Photographer Job Description Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects, using digital or film cameras and equipment. May develop negatives or use computer software to produce finished images and prints. Includes scientific photographers, aerial photographers, and photojournalists.
Life As a Photographer
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.
- Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
- Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.
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Photographer Required Skills
When polled, Photographers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Other Photographer Job Titles
- Still Photographer
- Studio Owner
- Forensic Photographer
- Crime Scene Photographer
- Wildlife Photographer
What Kind of Photographer Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 147,300 jobs for Photographer in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Photographer. There will be an estimated 10,300 positions for Photographer per year.
The states with the most job growth for Photographer are Maryland, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Indiana, New Jersey, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Photographers Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Photographers ranges between about $19,850 and $76,360 a year.
Photographers who work in District of Columbia, Rhode Island, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Photographers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $39,360 |
| Alaska | $42,820 |
| Arizona | $33,500 |
| Arkansas | $37,520 |
| California | $52,720 |
| Colorado | $38,600 |
| Connecticut | $44,140 |
| Delaware | $34,130 |
| District of Columbia | $82,840 |
| Florida | $39,990 |
| Georgia | $45,270 |
| Hawaii | $41,640 |
| Idaho | $33,240 |
| Illinois | $36,290 |
| Indiana | $35,460 |
| Iowa | $30,180 |
| Kansas | $35,540 |
| Kentucky | $36,390 |
| Louisiana | $32,710 |
| Maine | $38,360 |
| Maryland | $39,640 |
| Massachusetts | $65,090 |
| Minnesota | $54,150 |
| Mississippi | $44,770 |
| Missouri | $36,470 |
| Montana | $31,670 |
| Nebraska | $35,760 |
| Nevada | $35,010 |
| New Hampshire | $37,800 |
| New Jersey | $35,840 |
| New Mexico | $53,720 |
| New York | $53,150 |
| North Carolina | $33,630 |
| North Dakota | $35,530 |
| Ohio | $42,370 |
| Oklahoma | $31,940 |
| Oregon | $36,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,790 |
| Rhode Island | $54,800 |
| South Carolina | $42,090 |
| South Dakota | $30,380 |
| Tennessee | $33,170 |
| Texas | $34,160 |
| Vermont | $48,840 |
| Virginia | $37,420 |
| Washington | $48,020 |
| West Virginia | $32,270 |
| Wisconsin | $34,750 |
| Wyoming | $38,100 |
What Tools & Technology do Photographers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Photographers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Email software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- WordPress
- Apple Final Cut Pro
- Apple macOS
- SmugMug Flickr
- Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Cloud
- Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
- Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects
Becoming a Photographer
Are there Photographers education requirements?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Photographer?
Where Photographers Are Employed
The table below shows the approximate number of Photographers employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
Are you already one of the many Photographer in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Jorge Royan via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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