Forensic photographer vs professional photographer

The differences between forensic photographers and professional 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 forensic photographer and a professional photographer. Additionally, a forensic photographer has an average salary of $79,125, which is higher than the $44,490 average annual salary of a professional photographer.

The top three skills for a forensic photographer include latent prints, photographic techniques and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a professional photographer are adobe photoshop, customer service, and adobe lightroom.

Forensic photographer vs professional photographer overview

	Forensic Photographer	Professional Photographer
Yearly salary	$79,125	$44,490
Hourly rate	$38.04	$21.39
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	1,964	44,681
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	39	39
Years of experience	2	2

Forensic photographer vs professional photographer salary

Forensic photographers and professional photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Forensic Photographer	Professional Photographer
Average salary	$79,125	$44,490
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $306,000	Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between forensic photographer and professional photographer education

There are a few differences between a forensic photographer and a professional photographer in terms of educational background:

	Forensic Photographer	Professional Photographer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Photography	Photography
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Forensic photographer vs professional photographer demographics

Here are the differences between forensic photographers' and professional photographers' demographics:

	Forensic Photographer	Professional Photographer
Average age	39	39
Gender ratio	Male, 43.5% Female, 56.5%	Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 5.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between forensic photographer and professional photographer duties and responsibilities

Forensic photographer example responsibilities.

Coordinate and manage providing and dressing the customers with old western costumes in preparation of taking their photos.
Photograph latent impressions on a variety of surfaces using ALS, RUVIS, and other light sources using a Nikon D3S.
Compile portfolios for multiple photography competitions/certifications.
Compile portfolios for multiple photography competitions/certifications.

Professional photographer example responsibilities.

Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
Demonstrate professionalism and confidence out in the field gaining a greater understanding of photojournalism and photography
Retouch images including removing imperfections, color correcting and creating composite images.

Forensic photographer vs professional photographer skills

Common forensic photographer skills

Latent Prints, 32%
Photographic Techniques, 27%
Adobe Photoshop, 15%
Biometrics, 14%
Law Enforcement, 12%

Common professional photographer skills

Adobe Photoshop, 37%
Customer Service, 12%
Adobe Lightroom, 7%
Photo Shoots, 5%
Event Photography, 3%
Portfolio, 3%

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Forensic Photographer
Forensic Photographer vs Professional Photographer

Updated January 8, 2025

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