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Chief photographer vs professional photographer

The differences between chief photographers and professional photographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a chief photographer and a professional photographer. Additionally, a professional photographer has an average salary of $44,490, which is higher than the $38,178 average annual salary of a chief photographer.

The top three skills for a chief photographer include adobe photoshop, video production and ENG. The most important skills for a professional photographer are adobe photoshop, customer service, and adobe lightroom.

Chief photographer vs professional photographer overview

Chief PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Yearly salary$38,178$44,490
Hourly rate$18.35$21.39
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs14,12644,681
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Chief photographer vs professional photographer salary

Chief photographers and professional photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Chief PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Average salary$38,178$44,490
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $71,000Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between chief photographer and professional photographer education

There are a few differences between a chief photographer and a professional photographer in terms of educational background:

Chief PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityNorthwestern University

Chief photographer vs professional photographer demographics

Here are the differences between chief photographers' and professional photographers' demographics:

Chief PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 79.7% Female, 20.3%Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between chief photographer and professional photographer duties and responsibilities

Chief photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Compile portfolios for multiple photography competitions/certifications.
  • Compile portfolios for multiple photography competitions/certifications.

Professional photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Demonstrate professionalism and confidence out in the field gaining a greater understanding of photojournalism and photography
  • Retouch images including removing imperfections, color correcting and creating composite images.

Chief photographer vs professional photographer skills

Common chief photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 21%
  • Video Production, 18%
  • ENG, 12%
  • Visual Content, 6%
  • News Coverage, 5%
  • Local News, 4%
Common professional photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 37%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 7%
  • Photo Shoots, 5%
  • Event Photography, 3%
  • Portfolio, 3%

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