How to hire a photo stylist

How to hire a photo stylist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step photo stylist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a photo stylist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new photo stylist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The photo stylist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a photo stylist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a photo stylist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of photo stylist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Photo Stylist	Description	Hourly rate
   Photo Stylist	Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. They develop the overall layout and production design for various applications such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports.	$15-36
   Freelancer	A freelancer is a self-employed individual that provides services for multiple clients at one time and usually earns money on a per-job basis. Often known as independent contractors, freelancers usually set their schedules while running their own business and have a flexible lifestyle... Show more	$19-41
   Designer	A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences... Show more	$21-46

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Photo Studio
   • Photo Shoots
   • Product Photography
   • Art Direction
   • Kids
   • Table Tops
   • Location Shoots
   • E-Commerce
   • Creative Vision
   • Style Guides
   • Creative Concepts
   • Shot List
   • Creative Direction
   • Creative Ideas

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desire effects are being achieve.
   • Create a looping PowerPoint show to promote internal changeover to Google Apps.
   • Plan inventory and product assortment to the e-commerce store, ensuring current trends, and pricing fit requirements.
   • Provide customize wardrobe consultations, closet makeovers and personal style and fashion recommendations using an innovative direct-to-consumer sales model.
   • Authore corporate PowerPoint presentations tailor for all levels of management.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your photo stylist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A photo stylist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, photo stylists' average salary in south dakota is 58% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level photo stylists 56% less than senior-level photo stylists.
   • Certifications. A photo stylist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a photo stylist's salary.

   Average photo stylist salary

   $50,049yearly

   $24.06 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level photo stylist salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a photo stylist job description

   A job description for a photo stylist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a photo stylist job description:

   Photo stylist job description example

   The Photo Stylist primary responsibility will be to lead and organize the Styling team. In addition to the daily responsibilities of a product stylist, the Senior Photo Stylist will also take charge of answering questions about gift components details, use expert-level gift knowledge to check shots on set for accuracy, train new styling personnel in current techniques, create process improvements, and work with studio leadership to create brand style guidelines.
   Major Responsibilities include:
   
   * Ability to lead by example and set the tone for creativity, efficiency, and ability
   * Exceptional creative thinking and excellent styling skills
   * Highly evolved sense of composition, product display, taste level and trend awareness
   * Ability to multi-task with simultaneous products and projects
   * Able to manage multiple deadlines and complete projects on-time
   * Able to follow brand style guidelines and differentiate styling requirements between brands
   * Ability to successfully understand direction from the creative leadership and offer relevant feedback
   * Strong conceptual and photo styling direction skills
   * 5+ years' experience with product photography or similar environment.
   * Proficient in Mac OS with working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
   * A high energy team player that can successfully lead and motivate others and enjoys being a part of a team.
   * Able to work quickly and accurately in a challenging, fast paced environment while meeting short deadlines. Strong organizational skills.
   * Ability to maintain open communication and build trust with co-workers and superiors.
   
   INDCH
   
   About Harry & David
   
   Since 1934, Harry & David has been America's premier choice in gourmet food gifting. Headquartered in Southern Oregon, Harry & David owns and operates 20 different orchards, spread over 100 square miles, featuring fresh yearly crops of handpicked delicious fruit, including peaches, Bosc pears and the iconic Royal Riviera pears. Harry & David offers a wide variety of options for everyday sharing and entertaining, including Moose Munch premium popcorn, Wolferman's Bakery , Cushman's and Stock Yards branded products. Harry & David is part of the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. family of brands. Shares in 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, ticker symbol: FLWS.
   
   Our Commitment to Diversity
   
   At 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc., we seek to inspire more human expression, connection, and celebration -- for everyone. This means fostering a culture of inclusion where our team members, customers, and partners feel respected, valued, and empowered. We believe that embracing diversity, and celebrating the uniqueness of every individual, makes us a better company.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right photo stylist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   To find photo stylist candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting photo stylists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new photo stylist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the photo stylist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new photo stylist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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