Post job

How to hire a certified photo specialist

Certified photo specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring certified photo specialists in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a certified photo specialist is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new certified photo specialist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a certified photo specialist, step by step

To hire a certified photo specialist, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a certified photo specialist:

Here's a step-by-step certified photo specialist hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a certified photo specialist job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified photo specialist
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a certified photo specialist do?

A photo specialist usually works at photography shops where they operate photo processing machines, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Although their duties vary upon their company of employment, it usually involves printing or developing photos from negatives, handling equipment according to guidelines, organizing and storing supplies appropriately, and maintaining records. They may also take the clients' photos and assist them by answering inquiries, providing cost or time estimates, facilitating photoshoots, and giving them instructions while maintaining courteous behavior.

Learn more about the specifics of what a certified photo specialist does
jobs
Post a certified photo specialist job for free, promote it for a fee
  1. Identify your hiring needs

    The certified photo specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A certified photo specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, certified photo specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    Here's a comparison of certified photo specialist salaries for various roles:

    Type of Certified Photo SpecialistDescriptionHourly rate
    Certified Photo Specialist$11-51
    Digital RetoucherA digital retoucher specializes in altering or enhancing images using special computer software. Their responsibilities usually include assessing photos to identify which areas need retouching, accepting requests from the clients, removing blemishes, adjusting the brightness or sharpness, cropping or re-sizing the images, and changing color temperatures... Show more$11-51
    RetoucherRetouchers are skilled professionals who use advanced computer imaging software to change or modify the appearance of a photo or other digital image. These professionals must interface directly with clients to perform multiple image composition, color correction, and image manipulation... Show more$11-51
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Mental Illness
    • Rehabilitation
    • Role Model
    • Patients
    • Substance Abuse
    • CPS
    • Community Resources
    • Natural Supports
    • Peer Support
    • Foster Care
    • Recovery Process
    • Customer Service
    • Mental Health Issues
    • Mental Health Diagnosis
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Perform minor maintenance of kiosk computer systems which save Walmart $10K in machine repair.
    More certified photo specialist duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your certified photo specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A certified photo specialist can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, certified photo specialists' average salary in washington is 58% less than in connecticut.
    • Seniority. Entry-level certified photo specialists 78% less than senior-level certified photo specialists.
    • Certifications. A certified photo specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a certified photo specialist's salary.

    Average certified photo specialist salary

    $51,515yearly

    $24.77 hourly rate

    Entry-level certified photo specialist salary
    $24,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 23, 2026

    Average certified photo specialist salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$86,014$41
    2New York$67,309$32
    3Wisconsin$55,125$27
    4Utah$53,996$26
    5North Carolina$53,682$26
    6Montana$52,965$25
    7Pennsylvania$49,886$24
    8New Mexico$49,678$24
    9Missouri$46,989$23
    10Georgia$46,468$22
    11Minnesota$41,268$20
    12Washington$36,080$17

    Average certified photo specialist salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1GradyHealth$139,080$66.87
    2Doylestown Health$124,308$59.76
    3Bozeman Health$123,808$59.52
    4Emory Healthcare$86,660$41.661
    5Peoples Health$82,467$39.65
    6Canvas Health$71,423$34.34
    7St. Luke's Health System$57,530$27.662
    8Multicare Companies Inc.$53,658$25.8028
    9Intermountain Healthcare$52,688$25.33
    10NYU Lutheran Medical Center$52,065$25.034
    11Beyond Finance$51,771$24.89
    12Nascentia Health$49,378$23.74
    13Chime$47,452$22.811
    14Wisconsin Community Services$46,663$22.43
    15WellSpan Health$44,947$21.612
    16comhar$44,408$21.351
    17Res-Care Premier$43,745$21.0326
    18RiversEdge USA$41,136$19.78
    19Rockingham County$39,854$19.16
    20Eagleville Hospital$37,763$18.16
  4. Writing a certified photo specialist job description

    A job description for a certified photo specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a certified photo specialist job description:

    Certified photo specialist job description example

    $32,950.96 - $36,612.18


    About Us

    The mission of Canvas Health is to bring hope, healing, and recovery to people's lives.

    Canvas Health employs a dynamic and diverse group of professionals that reflect the many facets of our clients and provide a wide range of services to children, adolescents, adults, and families who struggle with mental health, chemical health, and domestic and sexual abuse.

    A career with Canvas Health provides an opportunity to enrich your own life alongside coworkers who share a special passion for making a real difference in the lives of others. We hold ourselves and each other accountable to the highest standards in all of our service and seek demonstrated ability to provide the highest quality of professional and customer service.

    Position Summary

    This position provides Peer support services within the Mental Health Crisis Services to clients of all ages through identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with the skills, strengths, supports, and resources to aid them in achieving those goals. This non-clinical position may also deal with supporting crisis calls and providing in-home peer supports. Assist clients by helping break down barriers to community resources and provide encouragement for involvement in community activities that support their goals and interests.

    Qualifications

    • High school diploma (or equivalent) work experience required; or
    • Be Certified within Minnesota as a Mental Health Certified Peer Specialist or Family Peer Specialist
    • Lived experience with a primary diagnosis of a mental illness Or if Family then raised or raising a child with a mental illness
    • Be a current or former user of mental health services

    Preferred Qualifications

    • Previous experience as a certified peer specialist
    • Bachelor's Degree; or Associates Degree
    • Experience working with and/or delivering services to diverse populations
    • Experience with Electronic Health Record systems

    As an essential healthcare provider, Canvas Health follows all local, state, and federal guidelines regarding COVID-19 precautions.

    Canvas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a diverse workforce. Canvas Health will not discriminate against any employee or applicant based upon a person's race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status with regard to public assistance, age, sexual or affectional orientation, familial status, ancestry, local human rights commission activity, citizenship, genetic information, protected veteran or military status, or any other protected class.

    For more opportunities, please visit the Canvas Health website! Click here!



    Job Posted by ApplicantPro
  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find certified photo specialists for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your certified photo specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit certified photo specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting certified photo specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new certified photo specialist

    Once you've selected the best certified photo specialist candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new certified photo specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
    Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a certified photo specialist?

Before you start to hire certified photo specialists, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire certified photo specialists pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $51,515 per year for a certified photo specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for certified photo specialists in the US typically range between $11 and $51 an hour.

Find better certified photo specialists in less time
Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring certified photo specialists FAQs

Search for certified photo specialist jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Browse production and manufacturing jobs