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Industrial photographer vs professional photographer

The differences between industrial 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 an industrial photographer and a professional photographer. Additionally, an industrial photographer has an average salary of $80,900, which is higher than the $44,490 average annual salary of a professional photographer.

The top three skills for an industrial photographer include lightroom, and . The most important skills for a professional photographer are adobe photoshop, customer service, and adobe lightroom.

Industrial photographer vs professional photographer overview

Industrial PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Yearly salary$80,900$44,490
Hourly rate$38.89$21.39
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs9,93144,681
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Industrial photographer vs professional photographer salary

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

Industrial PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Average salary$80,900$44,490
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $308,000Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between industrial photographer and professional photographer education

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

Industrial PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityNorthwestern University

Industrial photographer vs professional photographer demographics

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

Industrial PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 79.2% Female, 20.8%Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 6.0% White, 72.4% 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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between industrial photographer and professional photographer duties and responsibilities

Industrial photographer example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate and manage providing and dressing the customers with old western costumes in preparation of taking their photos.
  • 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.

Industrial photographer vs professional photographer skills

Common industrial photographer skills
  • Lightroom, 100%
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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