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Photographic technician vs freelance photographer

The differences between photographic technicians and freelance photographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a photographic technician and a freelance photographer. Additionally, a photographic technician has an average salary of $49,830, which is higher than the $42,949 average annual salary of a freelance photographer.

The top three skills for a photographic technician include digital photography, adobe photoshop and lightroom. The most important skills for a freelance photographer are adobe photoshop, aperture, and adobe lightroom.

Photographic technician vs freelance photographer overview

Photographic TechnicianFreelance Photographer
Yearly salary$49,830$42,949
Hourly rate$23.96$20.65
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs24,9921,766
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Photographic technician vs freelance photographer salary

Photographic technicians and freelance photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Photographic TechnicianFreelance Photographer
Average salary$49,830$42,949
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $79,000Between $29,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between photographic technician and freelance photographer education

There are a few differences between a photographic technician and a freelance photographer in terms of educational background:

Photographic TechnicianFreelance Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeHarvard UniversityHarvard University

Photographic technician vs freelance photographer demographics

Here are the differences between photographic technicians' and freelance photographers' demographics:

Photographic TechnicianFreelance Photographer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 66.4% Female, 33.6%Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%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 Percentage11%11%

Differences between photographic technician and freelance photographer duties and responsibilities

Photographic technician example responsibilities.

  • Work with Sony sales reps to achieve goals and account management.
  • Cash register operation and general POS usage.
  • Train to refuel helicopters in a combat situation.
  • Acquire imagery in control, uncontrol, and combat environments.
  • Maintain managerial duties such as budgeting, payroll and attend weekly & monthly meetings.
  • Assemble brochures from customer specifications, using Macintosh graphics software.
  • Show more

Freelance photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage HDR and PANO shots for greater Pittsburgh area.
  • Help manage a few bands Facebook pages and websites, including sharing and promoting shows and upcoming relate events.
  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Provide commercial photography to assist company advertising and promotion on social platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
  • Experience with Nikon D90 and relate equipment.
  • Experience with Nikon D50 D2100 SLR digital cameras
  • Show more

Photographic technician vs freelance photographer skills

Common photographic technician skills
  • Digital Photography, 37%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 28%
  • Lightroom, 16%
  • Video Cameras, 10%
  • Photographic Equipment, 4%
  • Film Processors, 3%
Common freelance photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 30%
  • Aperture, 14%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 7%
  • Photo Shoots, 5%
  • Portfolio, 4%
  • Music Videos, 4%

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