The Average Annual Income for a Photographer

Types

Photographers tend to specialize in certain types of work. Some portrait photographers have a studio in which they take pictures of individuals or groups. Some take high school graduation photos or travel to schools taking pictures of younger children. Portrait photographers also may travel to universities and to churches taking pictures for yearbooks. Some specialize in weddings or religious ceremonies such as confirmations. Photojournalists take pictures of newsworthy events, while those working in advertising and various industries take pictures of buildings, vehicles, equipment, machinery and merchandise. Aerial photographers take pictures of farms and other businesses for display. Photographers may do commercial work for their main income while pursuing success in scenic or other forms of photo artistry.

Photojournalists and photographers working in industry and science usually need a minimum of a bachelor's degree in photography, journalism or in a subject related to their place of employment. For aspiring portrait or freelance photographers, courses are available at universities, community colleges and vocational schools to enhance technical skills. Median starting pay range for photographers is $8 to $12 per hour as of December 2010, reports the PayScale salary survey website. Those with one to four years of experience can expect to make about $9 to $13 per hour, and photographers with five to nine years of experience earn $10 to $18 per hour on average.

The average annual income for a photographer as of May 2009 was about $36,400, translating to about $17.50 per hour, according to the BLS. The middle 50 percent of photographers on the earnings scale had annual incomes of about $21,000 to $44,200, and the top 10 percent were making over $62,300. The largest number of photographers work for professional, scientific and technical services, earning about $33,800 annually on average. Motion picture and video industries provide lucrative opportunities; photographers earned salaries of about $72,400 in 2009 in these industries. PayScale finds that freelancers earn more than other photographers, with the top 25 percent making over $63 per hour.

Some of the highest-paying regions for photographers include the Los Angeles, California, metropolitan area, where photographers earn $64,000 on average, and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where they have average annual incomes close to $56,000. Photographers in California, Illinois, Minnesota and New York have higher-than-average annual incomes of $44,000 to $48,000, as noted by the BLS.