Post job

Owner/photographer vs photography assistant

The differences between owner/photographers and photography assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an owner/photographer and a photography assistant. Additionally, a photography assistant has an average salary of $94,147, which is higher than the $39,992 average annual salary of an owner/photographer.

The top three skills for an owner/photographer include adobe photoshop, portrait photography and customer service. The most important skills for a photography assistant are adobe photoshop, photo shoots, and video production.

Owner/photographer vs photography assistant overview

Owner/PhotographerPhotography Assistant
Yearly salary$39,992$94,147
Hourly rate$19.23$45.26
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs47,7166,155
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Owner/photographer vs photography assistant salary

Owner/photographers and photography assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Owner/PhotographerPhotography Assistant
Average salary$39,992$94,147
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $55,000Between $17,000 And $503,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between owner/photographer and photography assistant education

There are a few differences between an owner/photographer and a photography assistant in terms of educational background:

Owner/PhotographerPhotography Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityHarvard University

Owner/photographer vs photography assistant demographics

Here are the differences between owner/photographers' and photography assistants' demographics:

Owner/PhotographerPhotography Assistant
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 37.5% Female, 62.5%Male, 36.1% Female, 63.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between owner/photographer and photography assistant duties and responsibilities

Owner/photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Set up multiple Profoto lighting and tether DSLR camera equipment.
  • Develop Facebook posts to ensure social interactions with customers.
  • Do stylize commercial photography for fellow business owners for products and portfolio building.
  • Obtain permits, insurance and responsible for acquiring any and all documentation need for photography productions.
  • Perform all photography and photo-editing/finishing/restoration of product.

Photography assistant example responsibilities.

  • Help manage facebook, youtube page for studios work.
  • Manage the company Facebook account (choosing, editing, uploading pictures, engaging clients, etc . )
  • Manage social media accounts including Instagram and Facebook.
  • Photograph food and field marketing social events used for social media inquiries such as Instagram, Facebook, and press release.
  • Well verse in photography and DSLR bodies
  • Aid students in learning basic DSLR photography skills in classroom and field.
  • Show more

Owner/photographer vs photography assistant skills

Common owner/photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 25%
  • Portrait Photography, 13%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 8%
  • Photo Shoots, 4%
  • Lifestyle, 2%
Common photography assistant skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 33%
  • Photo Shoots, 17%
  • Video Production, 6%
  • Photographic Equipment, 5%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 4%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 3%

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs