Photographer Salaries

How much would you make as a photographer?  The industry average has photographers ringing in at $34,010 a year.  If you sit right in the middle of the pack, you'll be one of the median 50% of practicing photographers who average at $27,720.  The lowest 25% are scraping by at $19,470, but if you truly excel in the field, then you might join the ranks of the top quartile, who bring in $41,280 a year.

Of course, those are averages, and we've already seen that photography is an incredibly diverse profession.  The best-paying specialties for photographers were these:

Another way to break up the average is to take a look at where photographers made the most.  Keep in mind, however, that costs of living also vary from place to place and it's not a good decision to choose the launching pad for your photography career based on numbers alone.

*Information comes from the U.S. Department of Labor site