Explore Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

Explore Careers

Explore Professions

Best Companies

Explore Companies

Best Jobs For Former Photographers [2026]

By Chris Kolmar
Jul. 13, 2022
Last Modified and Fact Checked on:

Best Jobs for Former Photographers in 2026

In 2026, the photography industry continues to face significant challenges, prompting many photographers to reconsider their career paths. Despite a steady number of individuals pursuing photography degrees, fewer are entering the profession, leading to a shrinking workforce.

This trend raises a crucial question:

What alternative careers are photographers transitioning to?

To gain insights, we analyzed resumes of former photographers to identify the most common jobs they have pursued after leaving the field. We examined thousands of resumes and focused on the top 100 job transitions.

Below is a quick overview of the ten most prevalent jobs for former photographers:

  1. Sales Associate Jobs (Overview)

  2. Freelance Photographer Jobs (Overview)

  3. Customer Service Representative Jobs (Overview)

  4. Graphic Designer Jobs (Overview)

  5. Cashier Jobs (Overview)

  6. Administrative Assistant Jobs (Overview)

  7. Internship Opportunities (Overview)

  8. Server Jobs (Overview)

  9. Assistant Manager Jobs (Overview)

  10. Management Positions (Overview)

These roles are valuable, utilizing skills photographers possess or serving as stepping stones to diverse career trajectories.

However, this list, while practical, lacks excitement. Therefore, we also highlight some surprising and intriguing job transitions below.

Here are a few of the most interesting jobs taken up by former photographers:

  1. Sales Associate Jobs (Overview)

  2. Customer Service Representative Jobs (Overview)

  3. Cashier Jobs (Overview)

  4. Administrative Assistant Jobs (Overview)

  5. Internship Opportunities (Overview)

  6. Server Jobs (Overview)

  7. Assistant Manager Jobs (Overview)

  8. Management Positions (Overview)

  9. Owner Jobs (Overview)

  10. Sales Representative Jobs (Overview)

These roles vary in appeal, but they all showcase the adaptability of former photographers in the evolving job market.

How We Identified the Most Common Jobs for Former Photographers

We utilized resume data from our database, which contains over 7 million resumes, to analyze the employment history of individuals who listed photography as their primary profession. We tracked the subsequent job titles they held after leaving photography, ranking them by frequency.

To identify the most interesting job transitions, we filtered our ranked list for positions that:

  • Appeared in fewer than 1% of all new job postings
  • Were not included in the top 100 most common jobs in our database

This methodology led us to the full ranked list of the most common jobs for former photographers, which you can explore below.

Detailed Ranking of the Most Common Jobs of Former Photographers

Rank Job Title %
1 Sales Associate 2.7%
2 Freelance Photographer 2.2%
3 Customer Service Representative 2.09%
4 Graphic Designer 1.7%
5 Cashier 1.48%
6 Administrative Assistant 1.35%
7 Internship 1.07%
8 Server 1.06%
9 Assistant Manager 1.01%
10 Manager 0.85%
11 Owner/Photographer 0.85%
12 Owner 0.78%
13 Sales Representative 0.66%
14 Volunteer 0.62%
15 Substitute Teacher 0.61%
16 Office Manager 0.6%
17 Receptionist 0.56%
18 Teacher 0.52%
19 Production Assistant 0.51%
20 Photographer, Editor 0.49%
21 Office Assistant 0.48%
22 Store Manager 0.42%
23 Photo Editor 0.41%
24 Specialist 0.41%
25 Lead Photographer 0.41%
26 Customer Service Trainer 0.37%
27 Freelance Videographer/Editor 0.37%
28 Photographer Assistant 0.36%
29 Studio Manager 0.33%
30 Creative Director 0.33%
31 Teller 0.33%
32 Supervisor 0.32%
33 Associate 0.32%
34 Social Media Manager 0.31%
35 Staff Photographer 0.28%
36 Security Officer 0.28%
37 Assistant 0.28%
38 Marketing Internship 0.27%
39 Teacher Assistant 0.27%
40 Owner/Operator 0.27%
41 Technician 0.26%
42 Videographer 0.26%
43 Product Photographer 0.26%
44 Editor 0.26%
45 Front Desk Receptionist 0.26%
46 Events Photographer 0.25%
47 Customer Service Associate 0.25%
48 Photographer/Photo Editor 0.25%
49 Barista 0.24%
50 Certified Nursing Assistant 0.24%
51 Marketing Manager 0.23%
52 Marketing Assistant 0.23%
53 Instructor 0.22%
54 Graphic Artist 0.22%
55 Account Manager 0.22%
56 Video Editor 0.22%
57 Preschool Teacher 0.2%
58 Pharmacist Technician 0.2%
59 Delivery Driver 0.2%
60 Nanny 0.2%
61 Operations Manager 0.2%
62 Bartender/Server 0.19%
63 Director of Photography 0.19%
64 Department Manager 0.19%
65 Cook 0.19%
66 Medical Assistant 0.19%
67 Merchandiser 0.19%
68 Graphic Designer and Photographer 0.19%
69 Sales Consultant 0.19%
70 Sports Photographer 0.19%
71 Home Health Aid 0.19%
72 Assistant Store Manager 0.19%
73 Crew Member 0.18%
74 Sales Manager 0.18%
75 Marketing Coordinator 0.18%
76 Wedding Photographer 0.18%
77 Waitress 0.18%
78 Consultant 0.18%
79 Machine Operator 0.18%
80 Laboratory Technician 0.17%
81 Team Leader 0.17%
82 Driver 0.17%
83 Reporter 0.17%
84 Warehouse Associate 0.17%
85 Camera Operator 0.17%
86 Customer Care Representative 0.17%
87 Hostess 0.17%
88 Senior Photographer 0.17%
89 Portrait Photographer 0.17%
90 Research Assistant 0.17%
91 Sales Associate and Customer Service 0.16%
92 Security Guard 0.16%
93 Coach 0.16%
94 Photography Assistant 0.16%
95 Web Designer 0.16%
96 Art Director 0.16%
97 Director 0.16%
98 Owner/Manager 0.16%
99 Customer Service Specialist 0.15%
100 Sales Associate and Cashier 0.15%

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Responsive Image

Related posts