Photographers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$44,660
United States, 2025
Employment
51,760
United States, 2025
Typical education
Some College Courses
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 27-4021.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Load and unload film.
- Write photograph captions.
- Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$30,820
25th percentile
$36,050
75th percentile
$62,740
90th percentile
$91,810
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Service Orientation3.3
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Time Management3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 12 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
12
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Service Orientation | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $39,390
Compare with PhotographersSupplemental
National median $97,150
Compare with PhotographersSupplemental
National median $52,720
Compare with PhotographersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC | $110,970 | 260 | 2025 |
| Bend, OR | $65,990 | 30 | 2025 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $62,550 | 70 | 2025 |
| Boulder, CO | $60,930 | 60 | 2025 |
| Springfield, MA | $60,430 | 40 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $60,050 | 3,590 | 2025 |
| NY | $60,050 | 3,650 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $60,000 | 280 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $59,220 | 350 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $58,840 | 880 | 2025 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $58,050 | 150 | 2025 |
| MA | $57,990 | 830 | 2025 |
| Charleston, SC | $56,890 | 100 | 2025 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $56,220 | 60 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $55,220 | 60 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $55,020 | 670 | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $54,530 | 1,060 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $54,260 | 160 | 2025 |
| OR | $53,630 | 510 | 2025 |
| Springfield, MO | $52,510 | 80 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Photographers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.