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Job outlook for fashion photographers in the United States
Are fashion photographer jobs in demand?
Fashion photographer job and salary trends over time
Fashion photographer jobs over time
Fashion photographer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 119 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 129 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 157 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 154 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 153 | 0.00% |
Average fashion photographer salary over time
Fashion photographer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $103,354 | $49.69 | +13.8% |
| 2025 | $90,835 | $43.67 | +6.7% |
| 2024 | $85,127 | $40.93 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | $81,346 | $39.11 | --4.6% |
| 2022 | $85,302 | $41.01 | +7.4% |
Fashion photographer jobs by state
Most common states for fashion photographers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 9 | 1% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 7 | 1% |
| 3 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 43 | 0% |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 38 | 0% |
| 5 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 33 | 0% |
| 6 | New York | 19,849,399 | 29 | 0% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 27 | 0% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 22 | 0% |
| 9 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 19 | 0% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 19 | 0% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 17 | 0% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 16 | 0% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 15 | 0% |
| 14 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 15 | 0% |
| 15 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 10 | 0% |
| 16 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 9 | 0% |
| 17 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 8 | 0% |
| 18 | Vermont | 623,657 | 3 | 0% |
| 19 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 3 | 0% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 2 | 0% |
Fashion Photographer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of fashion photographer experts
University of the Pacific
Georgia State University
University of South Dakota
George Fox University
Jennifer Little
Associate Professor of PhotographyUniversity of the Pacific
Film/Video And Photographic Arts
What Fashion Photographer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jennifer Little: It is very common for Photographers to also work as Videographers, especially for those who document live events, weddings, or sports, as well as people doing traditional Photojournalism or Documentary work. If you are interested in working in these areas, you should combine still Photography and short Videos of related subjects together in your portfolio. New AI image generating technology will have the least impact on Documentary, Journalism and Event Photography, where there is an expectation that photographs or videos document unadulterated reality. If you want to specialize in areas like Portrait, Fashion, Architectural or Product Photography, it will be extremely important to incorporate new AI image generating tools like Adobe Photoshop's Generative Fill into your workflow. AI image generating tools can be very useful for pre-visualization and modification of your original photographs of products, clothing, or interior designs, for example. AI will be used by product designers, fashion designers, and interior decorators to modify photographs with different design concepts. There is also great demand for licensed drone pilots to do commercial aerial photography and videography.
What skills stand out on Fashion Photographer resumes?
Jill Frank: The ability to use all camera functions and fully understand the tools, both analog and digital. Having an artistic vision and creative drive that makes your portfolio unique and memorable. Confidence with lighting, managing large photoshoots, awareness of the current trends in photography, ability to handle deadlines and difficult situations.
What soft skills should all Fashion Photographers possess?
Jill Frank: Listening, being observant, trusting your vision. It is always important to work well in teams and have the patience to be a good collaborator.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Fashion Photographers?
Jill Frank: There is an expectation that material and technique are mastered. For example, if you want to photograph an event at night, you should know how to handle the resolution, the iso, the lighting, the speed of the shutter, etc., so that the images work for their intended purpose. If you are not ready to handle the technical elements, you are not ready for the photoshoot.
What skills will help Fashion Photographers earn the most?
Jill Frank: This is probably too abstract a question for the field of art, but I will try my best: the better you are at taking photographs and marketing yourself & the better you are at moving seamlessly across different media and speaking to the relevant issues, the greater your success will be.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Fashion Photographer job market given the pandemic?
John Banasiak: Our best case scenario for graduates with an Art Degree are careers as professional Artists. With the pandemic there could be problems with gallery attendance and as a result there would be problems with sales of Art. There are mechanisms that enable online sales and online exhibitions of work, but they are not as powerful as real life exhibitions and interactions with Artists and the viewing public. Of course with Photography there are many off shoots of useful careers like photojournalism, medical photography, studio/fashion/commercial photography, etc.
Adam Long
Assistant Professor of Art and DesignGeorge Fox University
Department of Art and Design
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Fashion Photographers?
Adam Long: I believe our graduates are resilient and will adapt to any given situation. Some photo markets are cold right now, and It's hard to see us going back to "business as usual", but it wouldn't surprise me to see explosions in markets that require many people in close proximity...like weddings, fashion, events. Busy times with social gathering will come again.