Creative & Media
Photographers
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 salary (BLS)
$44,660
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$31k – $92k
Job outlook
+2% (about average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $91,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Photographers
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Photographers
Entry / Junior
$30,820
~2 yrs to advance
Photographers
Established
$44,660
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Photographers
Senior
$68,235
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Creative & Media
Explore all- University of Southern California12% admit · $86,000 grad pay
- New York University12% admit · $84,000 grad pay
- Northwestern University7% admit · $95,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.