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Food photographer vs staff photographer

The differences between food photographers and staff 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 staff photographer. Additionally, a food photographer has an average salary of $75,634, which is higher than the $37,094 average annual salary of a staff photographer.

The top three skills for a food photographer include adobe photoshop, photo shoots and adobe lightroom. The most important skills for a staff photographer are product photography, adobe photoshop, and event coverage.

Food photographer vs staff photographer overview

Food PhotographerStaff Photographer
Yearly salary$75,634$37,094
Hourly rate$36.36$17.83
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs49,66269,695
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Food photographer vs staff photographer salary

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

Food PhotographerStaff Photographer
Average salary$75,634$37,094
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $263,000Between $21,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between food photographer and staff photographer education

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

Food PhotographerStaff Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Food photographer vs staff photographer demographics

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

Food PhotographerStaff Photographer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 37.2% Female, 62.8%Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 15.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between food photographer and staff 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.

Staff photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Operate specialized camera equipment, including DSLR cameras and lenses, as well as video lighting.
  • Contribute to website and Facebook pages, keeping followers inform about local news and events between weekly papers.
  • Compile portfolios for multiple photography competitions/certifications.
  • Compile portfolios for multiple photography competitions/certifications.

Food photographer vs staff photographer skills

Common food photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 58%
  • Photo Shoots, 30%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 12%
Common staff photographer skills
  • Product Photography, 33%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 28%
  • Event Coverage, 5%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 4%
  • Photo Shoots, 2%
  • Art Directors, 2%

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