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Field producer vs freelance photographer

The differences between field producers and freelance photographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a field producer, becoming a freelance photographer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a field producer has an average salary of $49,364, which is higher than the $42,949 average annual salary of a freelance photographer.

The top three skills for a field producer include video production, booking and reality. The most important skills for a freelance photographer are adobe photoshop, aperture, and adobe lightroom.

Field producer vs freelance photographer overview

Field ProducerFreelance Photographer
Yearly salary$49,364$42,949
Hourly rate$23.73$20.65
Growth rate8%9%
Number of jobs54,7561,766
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age4039
Years of experience122

What does a field producer do?

A field producer acts as a coordinator between studio personnel, field crews, and actors. They are responsible for scouting the best location for the interview or production to happen. Field producers even work on other details, such as working with editors to create the best video for the best interest of the company. They monitor and make sure the video created is high quality based on standards set forth by the media companies. They make sure that the film is submitted on time, find solutions, and provide compensation if there are delays.

What does a freelance photographer do?

A freelance photographer produces photos while under a specific short-term contract. They are primarily responsible for coordinating with the client to learn any requests or preferences, bringing necessary devices and lighting equipment, securing the best location and setting, handling any obstruction during the photoshoot, and delivering high-quality results in a short amount of time. Moreover, a photographer must maintain a healthy working environment with clients or models by building rapport, which will also help establish a client base.

Field producer vs freelance photographer salary

Field producers and freelance photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Field ProducerFreelance Photographer
Average salary$49,364$42,949
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $80,000Between $29,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between field producer and freelance photographer education

There are a few differences between a field producer and a freelance photographer in terms of educational background:

Field ProducerFreelance Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 85%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorCommunicationPhotography
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Field producer vs freelance photographer demographics

Here are the differences between field producers' and freelance photographers' demographics:

Field ProducerFreelance Photographer
Average age4039
Gender ratioMale, 55.9% Female, 44.1%Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage14%11%

Differences between field producer and freelance photographer duties and responsibilities

Field producer example responsibilities.

  • Hire national and international crews, lead on-site location scouting, conduct on-site interviews and determine b-roll to be shoot.
  • Manage all production activities for fast-pace popular daytime reality series.
  • Manage the QA process including test/debug cycles and platform compliance/compatibility testing.
  • Hire nationally to cover NFL, MLB, NBA and NCAA breaking news.
  • Coordinate with external agencies, including the NHL, NFL, MLB, STX, UMMS, & MSP.
  • Assist in coordinating and booking events for daily entertainment news.
  • Show more

Freelance photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage HDR and PANO shots for greater Pittsburgh area.
  • Help manage a few bands Facebook pages and websites, including sharing and promoting shows and upcoming relate events.
  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Provide commercial photography to assist company advertising and promotion on social platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
  • Experience with Nikon D90 and relate equipment.
  • Experience with Nikon D50 D2100 SLR digital cameras
  • Show more

Field producer vs freelance photographer skills

Common field producer skills
  • Video Production, 21%
  • Booking, 9%
  • Reality, 6%
  • Video Content, 5%
  • B-Roll, 5%
  • Facebook, 5%
Common freelance photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 30%
  • Aperture, 14%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 7%
  • Photo Shoots, 5%
  • Portfolio, 4%
  • Music Videos, 4%

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