Director of photography demographics and statistics in the US
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Director of photography demographics by:
Director of photography gender statistics
20.3% of directors of photography are women and 79.7% of directors of photography are men.
- Male, 79.7%
- Female, 20.3%
Director of photography gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 79.7% |
| Female | 20.3% |
Director of photography gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$103,848
Female income
$104,709
Director of photography gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in director of photography positions over time. Currently, 20.3% of directors of photography are female.
Director of photography gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.51% | 12.49% |
| 2011 | 88.48% | 11.52% |
| 2012 | 85.00% | 15.00% |
| 2013 | 84.21% | 15.79% |
| 2014 | 86.57% | 13.43% |
| 2015 | 86.42% | 13.58% |
| 2016 | 81.79% | 18.21% |
| 2017 | 85.47% | 14.53% |
| 2018 | 83.87% | 16.13% |
| 2019 | 80.59% | 19.41% |
| 2020 | 80.49% | 19.51% |
| 2021 | 79.74% | 20.26% |
Director of photography related jobs gender ratio
We compared directors of photography with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, broadcast maintenance engineer and audio installer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Photographer Helper | 18% | 82% |
| Studio Associate | 23% | 77% |
| Photography Internship | 30% | 70% |
| Director Of Photography | 80% | 20% |
| News Cameraman | 95% | 5% |
| Audio Installer | 95% | 5% |
| Broadcast Maintenance Engineer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Director of photography demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among directors of photography is White, which makes up 62.8% of all directors of photography. Comparatively, 18.0% of directors of photography are Hispanic or Latino and 7.1% of directors of photography are Asian.
- White, 62.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.0%
- Asian, 7.1%
- Black or African American, 6.6%
- Unknown, 5.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Director of photography race
| Director of photography race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 62.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.0% |
| Asian | 7.1% |
| Black or African American | 6.6% |
| Unknown | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Director of photography race and ethnicity over time
See how director of photography racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Director of photography race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.44% | 7.12% | 4.28% | 12.69% |
| 2011 | 71.28% | 6.37% | 5.17% | 14.76% |
| 2012 | 70.61% | 7.25% | 6.60% | 12.23% |
| 2013 | 68.46% | 6.08% | 7.29% | 15.04% |
| 2014 | 69.85% | 7.08% | 6.59% | 14.09% |
| 2015 | 69.54% | 7.00% | 5.74% | 13.88% |
| 2016 | 68.81% | 7.35% | 5.08% | 16.08% |
| 2017 | 70.54% | 5.76% | 5.95% | 14.37% |
| 2018 | 68.25% | 7.56% | 6.88% | 13.83% |
| 2019 | 64.36% | 6.97% | 9.24% | 15.36% |
| 2020 | 65.33% | 5.82% | 7.49% | 15.91% |
| 2021 | 62.75% | 6.65% | 7.11% | 18.00% |
Director of photography wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown directors of photography have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american directors of photography have the lowest average salary at $98,626.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $108,586 |
| White | $102,834 |
| Black or African American | $98,626 |
| Asian | $106,228 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $103,240 |
Average director of photography age
See how the average age of directors of photography varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Director of photography age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 38 | |
| White | 37.5 | 32 |
| Black or African American | 39 | |
| Asian | 36 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 38 |
Director of photography age breakdown
The average age of directors of photography is 40+ years years old, representing 39% of the director of photography population.
Director of photography age breakdown
| Director Of Photography Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 39% |
| 30-40 years | 35% |
| 20-30 years | 25% |
Director of photography educational attainment
The most common degree for directors of photography is bachelor's degree, with 76% of directors of photography earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 76%
- Associate, 13%
- Master's, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Directors of photography by degree level
| Director of photography degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 76% |
| Associate | 13% |
| Master's | 6% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Director of photography jobs you might like
Director of photography wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $109,924 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $102,842 |
Director of photography employment statistics
Most directors of photography work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where directors of photography work
Below, you can see the size of companies where directors of photography work.
Director of photography jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Director of photography jobs by company type
Employees with the director of photography job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most directors of photography prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Director of photography jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 15% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 63% |
| Government | 3% |
Director of photography jobs by industry
The most common industries for directors of photography are media, education and technology.
Director of photography industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 22% |
| Education | 12% |
| Retail | 8% |
| Technology | 8% |
| Start-up | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Telecommunication | 4% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Director of photography turnover and employment statistics
Director of photography unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for directors of photography between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Director of photography unemployment rate by year
| Year | Director of photography unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.45% |
| 2011 | 9.44% |
| 2012 | 11.75% |
| 2013 | 9.27% |
| 2014 | 10.07% |
| 2015 | 8.04% |
| 2016 | 9.10% |
| 2017 | 6.18% |
| 2018 | 5.92% |
| 2019 | 8.68% |
| 2020 | 14.35% |
| 2021 | 9.49% |
Average director of photography tenure
The average director of photography stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,524 directors of photography resumes in Zippia's database.
Director of photography tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 22% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 15% |
Director of photography LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of directors of photography that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Controller | 5.55% | 14,232 |
| Newspaper Photographer | 8.13% | 1,432 |
| Director Of Photography | 10.03% | - |
| Sports Editor | 11.70% | 5,845 |
| Owner & Designer | 12.14% | 91,490 |
| Design Specialist | 17.34% | 68,347 |
| Actress | 23.07% | 2,661 |
Similar director of photography jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Controller | 5.55% | 14,232 |
| Newspaper Photographer | 8.13% | 1,432 |
| Sports Editor | 11.70% | 5,845 |
| Owner & Designer | 12.14% | 91,490 |
| Design Specialist | 17.34% | 68,347 |
| Actress | 23.07% | 2,661 |
Foreign languages spoken by directors of photography
The most common foreign language among directors of photography is Spanish at 50.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 13.0% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 4.8%.
- Spanish, 50.7%
- French, 13.0%
- Chinese, 4.8%
- Portuguese, 4.1%
- Mandarin, 4.1%
- Other, 23.3%
Director of photography languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 50.7% |
| French | 13.0% |
| Chinese | 4.8% |
| Portuguese | 4.1% |
| Mandarin | 4.1% |
| Other | 23.3% |
