Median / Average Pay ($)
- $20.44 / hour (BLS.gov)
- $20.36 / hour (ZipRecruiter.com)
- $21.62 / hour (Indeed.com)
- $18.07 / hour (Talent.com)
Services Provided
- Commercial – Creating media that promotes the client’s products or services, such as menu items, or property photos for real estate agents, product branding, and fashion; also, shooting promotional images specifically to improve a company’s recognition or presence.
- Event – Attending events to take live photos for posterity, journalism, or promotional purposes; for example, trade shows, concerts, weddings.
- Sports – Photographing competitions, team sporting events, and training sessions in order to capture live action moments.
- Aerial – Using a flying machine (e.g., drone, helicopter) to take pictures from higher elevations and the various angles provided by flight; for instance, a bird’s eye view of a property for sale or a football game.
- Photojournalism – Recording real-life and newsworthy events through photography, often to support news stories or provide sourcing evidence.
- Lifestyle – Taking images of an individual, couple, family, or group during their activities, daily events, or trips; often used for influencer content.
- Portraits – Capturing images that create an impression of the subject, commemorate a milestone, or serve a specific purpose (for example, an actor’s headshot, newborn photos, and high school yearbook pictures).
- Pets -Working with clients and their pets to shoot portraits of the animal alone or with its owner; this includes photography for rehoming abandoned animals or animals for sale.
- Fine Art – Creating photographic images with artistic or meaningful compositions specifically for display in museums, galleries, auctions, and by vendors.
- Boudoir – Staging intimate or empowering photographs featuring the client, generally intended for a romantic gift or other personal uses.