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Owner/photographer vs professional photographer

The differences between owner/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 owner/photographer and a professional photographer. Additionally, a professional photographer has an average salary of $44,490, 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 professional photographer are adobe photoshop, customer service, and adobe lightroom.

Owner/photographer vs professional photographer overview

Owner/PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Yearly salary$39,992$44,490
Hourly rate$19.23$21.39
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs47,71644,681
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Owner/photographer vs professional photographer salary

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

Owner/PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Average salary$39,992$44,490
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $55,000Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between owner/photographer and professional photographer education

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

Owner/PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University

Owner/photographer vs professional photographer demographics

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

Owner/PhotographerProfessional Photographer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 37.5% Female, 62.5%Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6%
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, 6.3% 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 owner/photographer and professional photographer 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.

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.

Owner/photographer vs professional photographer skills

Common owner/photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 25%
  • Portrait Photography, 13%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 8%
  • Photo Shoots, 4%
  • Lifestyle, 2%
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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