Food photographer vs lead photographer

The differences between food photographers and lead 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 food photographer and a lead photographer. Additionally, a food photographer has an average salary of $75,634, which is higher than the $35,976 average annual salary of a lead photographer.

The top three skills for a food photographer include adobe photoshop, photo shoots and adobe lightroom. The most important skills for a lead photographer are adobe photoshop, photographic equipment, and portrait photography.

Food photographer vs lead photographer overview

	Food Photographer	Lead Photographer
Yearly salary	$75,634	$35,976
Hourly rate	$36.36	$17.30
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	49,662	6,644
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	2	2

Food photographer vs lead photographer salary

Food photographers and lead photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Food Photographer	Lead Photographer
Average salary	$75,634	$35,976
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $263,000	Between $22,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Syracuse, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Syracuse University
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between food photographer and lead photographer education

There are a few differences between a food photographer and a lead photographer in terms of educational background:

	Food Photographer	Lead Photographer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Photography	Photography
Most common college	Harvard University	Northwestern University

Food photographer vs lead photographer demographics

Here are the differences between food photographers' and lead photographers' demographics:

	Food Photographer	Lead Photographer
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 37.2% Female, 62.8%	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between food photographer and lead photographer duties and responsibilities

Food photographer example responsibilities.

Manage assistants and stylist teams to ensure timely completion of brand-appropriate studio photography.
Generate engaging lifestyle, editorial, celebrity, and model images in fast-pace, fully-digital production studio.
Photograph and process event coverage and holiday pictures with Santa.

Lead photographer example responsibilities.

Manage different operating processes and goals for photography team, creating success for office and limiting inaccurate paperwork and improve product.
Run and upkeep the business' Facebook page.
Resolve operational problems of camera lens, tripods and external flash units.
Advance knowledge of photo management and editing software, DSLR cameras and relate equipment.
Light social media work also perform on various social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter/HootSuite, Lookbook, etc.
Operate DSLR cameras and photography equipment.

Food photographer vs lead photographer skills

Common food photographer skills

Adobe Photoshop, 58%
Photo Shoots, 30%
Adobe Lightroom, 12%

Common lead photographer skills

Adobe Photoshop, 23%
Photographic Equipment, 20%
Portrait Photography, 7%
Customer Service, 7%
Photo Shoots, 4%
Digital Photography, 4%

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Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry
Food Photographer
Food Photographer vs Lead Photographer

Updated January 8, 2025

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