How To Become A Certified Photo Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a certified photo specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Certified photo specialists are technicians who run photo processing devices that print images from negative or digital image archives. Image editing devices are typically found in retail shops or in drug stores. The certified photo specialists who run the equipment are the staff of the shop at which they operate.

Certified photo specialists work inside the photo production section of the store and, unlike most shop staff, have particular responsibilities and are not usually needed to step in for other parts of the store. The duties of certified specialists vary by shop, but in general, they are responsible for negative sorting, opening, and converting digital files. They are also in charge of photo scanning, servicing printers, and processing equipment.

The position of certified photo specialist does not normally entail any prior experience or qualifications but pays considerably more than other entry-level occupations. Trained certified photo specialists have particular and marketable expertise. Most certified photo specialists have a high school diploma or equivalent, and they undergo on-the-job training.

ScoreCertified Photo SpecialistUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,515

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.60%

Asian 12.75%

Black or African American 7.32%

Hispanic or Latino 13.29%

Unknown 5.27%

White 60.77%

Gender

female 55.44%

male 44.56%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a certified photo specialist

Explore certified photo specialist education requirements

Most common certified photo specialist degrees

Bachelor's

45.9 %

Associate

19.1 %

High School Diploma

15.8 %

Start to develop specific certified photo specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Mental Illness	13.69%
Rehabilitation	12.78%
Role Model	9.88%
Patients	9.43%
Substance Abuse	8.77%

Complete relevant certified photo specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New certified photo specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a certified photo specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real certified photo specialist resumes.

Research certified photo specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage passport photos, develop films, digital media, CD's, DVD's, and print products.
Schedule patients for allergy testing and allergy injections.
Skil at operating computerize cash registers, scanners for inventory and affiliate POS systems.
Maintain ethical and confidential relationships between company personnel, patients, and other hospital personnel.

Prepare your certified photo specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your certified photo specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a certified photo specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable certified photo specialist resume templates

Build a professional certified photo specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your certified photo specialist resume.