Photographer demographics and statistics in the US
Photographer demographics research summary. Zippia estimates photographer demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our photographer estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about photographers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 29,586 photographers currently employed in the United States.
- 61.7% of all photographers are women, while 38.3% are men.
- The average photographer age is 39 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of photographers is White (65.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.1%), Asian (7.0%) and Black or African American (6.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 91% of what men earned.
- 11% of all photographers are LGBT.
- Photographers are 69% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Photographer demographics by:
Photographer gender statistics
61.7% of photographers are women and 38.3% of photographers are men.
- Female, 61.7%
- Male, 38.3%
Photographer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 61.7% |
| Male | 38.3% |
Photographer gender pay gap
Women earn 91¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$35,286
Female income
$32,231
Photographer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in photographer positions over time. Currently, 61.7% of photographers are female.
Photographer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 37.37% | 62.63% |
| 2011 | 37.32% | 62.68% |
| 2012 | 36.11% | 63.89% |
| 2013 | 34.51% | 65.49% |
| 2014 | 37.14% | 62.86% |
| 2015 | 40.21% | 59.79% |
| 2016 | 41.06% | 58.94% |
| 2017 | 40.41% | 59.59% |
| 2018 | 39.30% | 60.70% |
| 2019 | 35.64% | 64.36% |
| 2020 | 32.48% | 67.52% |
| 2021 | 38.29% | 61.71% |
Photographer related jobs gender ratio
We compared photographers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, broadcast maintenance engineer and audio installer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Photographer Helper | 18% | 82% |
| Studio Associate | 23% | 77% |
| Photography Internship | 30% | 70% |
| Photographer | 38% | 62% |
| News Cameraman | 95% | 5% |
| Audio Installer | 95% | 5% |
| Broadcast Maintenance Engineer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Photographer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among photographers is White, which makes up 65.6% of all photographers. Comparatively, 15.1% of photographers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.0% of photographers are Asian.
- White, 65.6%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.1%
- Asian, 7.0%
- Black or African American, 6.3%
- Unknown, 5.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Photographer race
| Photographer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.1% |
| Asian | 7.0% |
| Black or African American | 6.3% |
| Unknown | 5.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Photographer race and ethnicity over time
See how photographer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Photographer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.34% | 6.41% | 4.66% | 13.53% |
| 2011 | 74.91% | 5.74% | 4.35% | 12.03% |
| 2012 | 72.45% | 5.77% | 4.29% | 14.03% |
| 2013 | 72.87% | 5.84% | 4.89% | 13.11% |
| 2014 | 73.10% | 5.60% | 5.12% | 12.76% |
| 2015 | 71.95% | 6.27% | 4.83% | 13.79% |
| 2016 | 72.69% | 4.33% | 5.24% | 14.29% |
| 2017 | 72.72% | 6.17% | 4.42% | 13.70% |
| 2018 | 70.13% | 6.34% | 5.77% | 14.86% |
| 2019 | 71.97% | 5.60% | 5.48% | 13.72% |
| 2020 | 70.15% | 5.04% | 5.44% | 14.06% |
| 2021 | 65.60% | 6.31% | 7.01% | 15.14% |
Photographer wage gap by race
According to our data, white photographers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american photographers have the lowest average salary at $34,618.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $35,591 |
| White | $36,017 |
| Black or African American | $34,618 |
| Asian | $35,282 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,939 |
Average photographer age
See how the average age of photographers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Photographer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 34 | 30 |
| White | 43 | 34 |
| Black or African American | 33 | |
| Asian | 35 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 33 |
Photographer age breakdown
The average age of photographers is 40+ years years old, representing 44% of the photographer population.
Photographer age breakdown
| Photographer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 44% |
| 30-40 years | 33% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Photographer educational attainment
The most common degree for photographers is bachelor's degree, with 51% of photographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 18%.
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 18%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Photographers by degree level
| Photographer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 51% |
| Associate | 21% |
| High School Diploma | 18% |
| Diploma | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Photographer jobs you might like
Photographer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, photographers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $36,565 annually. With a Associate degree, photographers earn a median annual income of $33,920 compared to $32,491 for photographers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,491 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,565 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,920 |
Photographer employment statistics
Most photographers work for a private in the media industry.
Company size where photographers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where photographers work.
Photographer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 19% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 19% |
Photographer jobs by company type
Employees with the photographer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most photographers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Photographer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 20% |
| Private | 69% |
| Government | 2% |
Photographer jobs by industry
The most common industries for photographers are media, retail and professional.
Photographer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Media | 15% |
| Retail | 14% |
| Professional | 13% |
| Hospitality | 10% |
| Fortune 500 | 8% |
| Education | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Internet | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
Photographer turnover and employment statistics
Photographer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for photographers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Photographer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Photographer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.20% |
| 2011 | 12.90% |
| 2012 | 10.02% |
| 2013 | 11.78% |
| 2014 | 8.02% |
| 2015 | 8.68% |
| 2016 | 6.42% |
| 2017 | 6.80% |
| 2018 | 6.68% |
| 2019 | 4.40% |
| 2020 | 12.28% |
| 2021 | 13.40% |
Average photographer tenure
The average photographer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 60,908 photographers resumes in Zippia's database.
Photographer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 31% |
| 1-2 years | 24% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Photographer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of photographers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Wire Photo Operator | 5.55% | 30,588 |
| Camera Operator/Production Assistant | 7.31% | 76,285 |
| Photographer | 11.17% | - |
| Contributing Editor | 11.70% | 5,306 |
| Graphic Designer Internship | 12.14% | 93,292 |
| Kitchen Designer | 17.34% | 56,831 |
| Actor | 23.07% | 218 |
Similar photographer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Wire Photo Operator | 5.55% | 30,588 |
| Camera Operator/Production Assistant | 7.31% | 76,285 |
| Contributing Editor | 11.70% | 5,306 |
| Graphic Designer Internship | 12.14% | 93,292 |
| Kitchen Designer | 17.34% | 56,831 |
| Actor | 23.07% | 218 |
Foreign languages spoken by photographers
The most common foreign language among photographers is Spanish at 59.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.2% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 4.0%.
- Spanish, 59.7%
- French, 9.2%
- Chinese, 4.0%
- German, 3.9%
- Mandarin, 3.1%
- Other, 20.1%
Photographer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 59.7% |
| French | 9.2% |
| Chinese | 4.0% |
| German | 3.9% |
| Mandarin | 3.1% |
| Other | 20.1% |
