Freelance photographer demographics and statistics in the US
Freelance photographer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates freelance photographer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our freelance photographer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about freelance photographers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 9,203 freelance photographers currently employed in the United States.
- 48.8% of all freelance photographers are women, while 51.2% are men.
- The average freelance photographer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of freelance photographers is White (66.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.9%), Asian (7.0%) and Black or African American (6.2%).
- In 2022, women earned 93% of what men earned.
- 11% of all freelance photographers are LGBT.
- Freelance photographers are 70% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Freelance photographer demographics by:
Freelance photographer gender statistics
48.8% of freelance photographers are women and 51.2% of freelance photographers are men.
- Male, 51.2%
- Female, 48.8%
Freelance photographer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 51.2% |
| Female | 48.8% |
Freelance photographer gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$44,332
Female income
$41,114
Freelance photographer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in freelance photographer positions over time. Currently, 48.8% of freelance photographers are female.
Freelance photographer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 50.21% | 49.79% |
| 2011 | 50.16% | 49.84% |
| 2012 | 48.86% | 51.14% |
| 2013 | 47.11% | 52.89% |
| 2014 | 49.97% | 50.03% |
| 2015 | 53.20% | 46.80% |
| 2016 | 54.08% | 45.92% |
| 2017 | 53.41% | 46.59% |
| 2018 | 52.25% | 47.75% |
| 2019 | 48.36% | 51.64% |
| 2020 | 44.85% | 55.15% |
| 2021 | 51.19% | 48.81% |
Freelance photographer related jobs gender ratio
We compared freelance photographers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, broadcast maintenance engineer and audio installer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Photographer Helper | 18% | 82% |
| Studio Associate | 23% | 77% |
| Photography Internship | 30% | 70% |
| Freelance Photographer | 51% | 49% |
| News Cameraman | 95% | 5% |
| Audio Installer | 95% | 5% |
| Broadcast Maintenance Engineer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Freelance photographer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among freelance photographers is White, which makes up 66.0% of all freelance photographers. Comparatively, 14.9% of freelance photographers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.0% of freelance photographers are Asian.
- White, 66.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 14.9%
- Asian, 7.0%
- Black or African American, 6.2%
- Unknown, 5.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Freelance photographer race
| Freelance photographer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 66.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 14.9% |
| Asian | 7.0% |
| Black or African American | 6.2% |
| Unknown | 5.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Freelance photographer race and ethnicity over time
See how freelance photographer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Freelance photographer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.73% | 6.34% | 4.60% | 13.29% |
| 2011 | 75.30% | 5.67% | 4.29% | 11.79% |
| 2012 | 72.84% | 5.70% | 4.23% | 13.79% |
| 2013 | 73.26% | 5.77% | 4.83% | 12.86% |
| 2014 | 73.49% | 5.53% | 5.06% | 12.52% |
| 2015 | 72.34% | 6.20% | 4.77% | 13.54% |
| 2016 | 73.08% | 4.26% | 5.19% | 14.04% |
| 2017 | 73.11% | 6.10% | 4.36% | 13.45% |
| 2018 | 70.52% | 6.27% | 5.71% | 14.61% |
| 2019 | 72.36% | 5.53% | 5.42% | 13.47% |
| 2020 | 70.54% | 4.97% | 5.38% | 13.81% |
| 2021 | 65.99% | 6.25% | 6.96% | 14.89% |
Freelance photographer wage gap by race
According to our data, white freelance photographers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american freelance photographers have the lowest average salary at $43,632.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $44,650 |
| White | $45,095 |
| Black or African American | $43,632 |
| Asian | $44,328 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $43,969 |
Average freelance photographer age
See how the average age of freelance photographers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Freelance photographer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 34 | 30 |
| White | 43 | 34 |
| Black or African American | 33 | |
| Asian | 35 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 33 |
Freelance photographer age breakdown
The average age of freelance photographers is 40+ years years old, representing 44% of the freelance photographer population.
Freelance photographer age breakdown
| Freelance Photographer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 44% |
| 30-40 years | 33% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Freelance photographer educational attainment
The most common degree for freelance photographers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of freelance photographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Freelance photographers by degree level
| Freelance photographer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 69% |
| Associate | 18% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Master's | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Freelance photographer jobs you might like
Freelance photographer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, freelance photographers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $45,664 annually. With a Associate degree, freelance photographers earn a median annual income of $42,899 compared to $41,390 for freelance photographers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,390 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,664 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $42,899 |
Freelance photographer employment statistics
Most freelance photographers work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where freelance photographers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where freelance photographers work.
Freelance photographer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Freelance photographer jobs by company type
Employees with the freelance photographer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most freelance photographers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Freelance photographer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 17% |
| Private | 70% |
| Government | 3% |
Freelance photographer jobs by industry
The most common industries for freelance photographers are media, retail and education.
Freelance photographer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 31% |
| Retail | 10% |
| Education | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Internet | 5% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Manufacturing | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Freelance photographer turnover and employment statistics
Freelance photographer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for freelance photographers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Freelance photographer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Freelance photographer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.20% |
| 2011 | 12.90% |
| 2012 | 10.02% |
| 2013 | 11.78% |
| 2014 | 8.02% |
| 2015 | 8.68% |
| 2016 | 6.42% |
| 2017 | 6.80% |
| 2018 | 6.68% |
| 2019 | 4.40% |
| 2020 | 12.28% |
| 2021 | 13.40% |
Average freelance photographer tenure
The average freelance photographer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 11,451 freelance photographers resumes in Zippia's database.
Freelance photographer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 7% |
| 1-2 years | 10% |
| 3-4 years | 8% |
| 5-7 years | 21% |
| 8-10 years | 16% |
| 11+ years | 38% |
Freelance photographer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of freelance photographers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Engineer | 5.55% | 1,750 |
| Live Truck Operator | 7.31% | 72,908 |
| Freelance Photographer | 11.17% | - |
| Assistant Editor | 11.70% | 8,716 |
| Graphics Specialist | 12.14% | 12,267 |
| Interior Design Internship | 17.34% | 88,151 |
| Actor | 23.07% | 218 |
Similar freelance photographer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Engineer | 5.55% | 1,750 |
| Live Truck Operator | 7.31% | 72,908 |
| Assistant Editor | 11.70% | 8,716 |
| Graphics Specialist | 12.14% | 12,267 |
| Interior Design Internship | 17.34% | 88,151 |
| Actor | 23.07% | 218 |
Foreign languages spoken by freelance photographers
The most common foreign language among freelance photographers is Spanish at 48.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.6% and German is the third-most popular at 5.8%.
- Spanish, 48.9%
- French, 14.6%
- German, 5.8%
- Portuguese, 3.8%
- Chinese, 3.6%
- Other, 23.3%
Freelance photographer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 48.9% |
| French | 14.6% |
| German | 5.8% |
| Portuguese | 3.8% |
| Chinese | 3.6% |
| Other | 23.3% |
