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Director of photography vs cinematographer

The differences between directors of photography and cinematographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a director of photography has an average salary of $105,236, which is higher than the $72,245 average annual salary of a cinematographer.

The top three skills for a director of photography include video projects, DP and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a cinematographer are video production, cinema, and music videos.

Director of photography vs cinematographer overview

Director Of PhotographyCinematographer
Yearly salary$105,236$72,245
Hourly rate$50.59$34.73
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs5,7465,748
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age3737
Years of experience--

Director of photography vs cinematographer salary

Directors of photography and cinematographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of PhotographyCinematographer
Average salary$105,236$72,245
Salary rangeBetween $71,000 And $153,000Between $43,000 And $118,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NY-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyGap Inc.-
Best paying industry--

Differences between director of photography and cinematographer education

There are a few differences between a director of photography and a cinematographer in terms of educational background:

Director Of PhotographyCinematographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeJohns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University

Director of photography vs cinematographer demographics

Here are the differences between directors of photography' and cinematographers' demographics:

Director Of PhotographyCinematographer
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 79.7% Female, 20.3%Male, 85.3% Female, 14.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.1% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between director of photography and cinematographer duties and responsibilities

Director of photography example responsibilities.

  • Manage all photography assets for a slate of Showtime original series, documentaries and sports programming.
  • Coordinate and manage show production, including budget creation, scriptwriting and booking guest for on camera interviews.
  • Act as the gaffer and grip.
  • Provide services for YouTube album music releases.
  • Organize camera, electrical and grip crews.
  • Direct the gaffer to meet establish lighting strategy.
  • Show more

Cinematographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage equipment setup and on-site DVD sales.
  • Manage all principal photography and editing.
  • Used DSLR, macro, and underwater camera equipment to film wildlife in wood settings.
  • Create promotional videos for viewing on the Lily.B website, Facebook, YouTube, and other social networking sites.
  • Work together with DP Brian Hwang
  • Produce documentaries, reality shows and live events.
  • Show more

Director of photography vs cinematographer skills

Common director of photography skills
  • Video Projects, 28%
  • DP, 20%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 6%
  • Sony, 5%
  • Video Production, 3%
  • Cinematography, 3%
Common cinematographer skills
  • Video Production, 15%
  • Cinema, 11%
  • Music Videos, 11%
  • DSLR, 10%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 7%
  • Photography, 6%

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