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The differences between media production specialists and freelance photographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a media production specialist, becoming a freelance photographer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a media production specialist has an average salary of $53,243, which is higher than the $42,949 average annual salary of a freelance photographer.
The top three skills for a media production specialist include training videos, video production and graphic design. The most important skills for a freelance photographer are adobe photoshop, aperture, and adobe lightroom.
| Media Production Specialist | Freelance Photographer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,243 | $42,949 |
| Hourly rate | $25.60 | $20.65 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 87,800 | 1,766 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A media production specialist produces media such as films, documentaries, audio messages, or videos. The qualifications for this position are knowledge of computer software editing programs and familiarity with media production devices such as cameras, microphones, and lighting. They are expected to produce media in a variety of formats, conduct quality control, and make recommendations of equipment to be purchased to perform given tasks.
A freelance photographer produces photos while under a specific short-term contract. They are primarily responsible for coordinating with the client to learn any requests or preferences, bringing necessary devices and lighting equipment, securing the best location and setting, handling any obstruction during the photoshoot, and delivering high-quality results in a short amount of time. Moreover, a photographer must maintain a healthy working environment with clients or models by building rapport, which will also help establish a client base.
Media production specialists and freelance photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Production Specialist | Freelance Photographer | |
| Average salary | $53,243 | $42,949 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $73,000 | Between $29,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | Keysight Technologies | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a media production specialist and a freelance photographer in terms of educational background:
| Media Production Specialist | Freelance Photographer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Communication | Photography |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between media production specialists' and freelance photographers' demographics:
| Media Production Specialist | Freelance Photographer | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% | Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 5.3% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 11% |