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The differences between product photographers 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 product photographer and a freelance photographer. Additionally, a freelance photographer has an average salary of $42,949, which is higher than the $37,701 average annual salary of a product photographer.
The top three skills for a product photographer include adobe photoshop, photograph products and product images. The most important skills for a freelance photographer are adobe photoshop, aperture, and adobe lightroom.
| Product Photographer | Freelance Photographer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,701 | $42,949 |
| Hourly rate | $18.13 | $20.65 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 57,109 | 1,766 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Product photographer careers require skills in product lighting, production photography, product image editing, communication, management, and organization. As someone who photographs products, you will need to produce quality images of a wide variety of products in order to market goods to consumers. Product photographers may work on a freelance basis or for a company.
A freelance photographer produces photos while under a specific short-term contract. They are primarily responsible for coordinating with the client to learn any requests or preferences, bringing necessary devices and lighting equipment, securing the best location and setting, handling any obstruction during the photoshoot, and delivering high-quality results in a short amount of time. Moreover, a photographer must maintain a healthy working environment with clients or models by building rapport, which will also help establish a client base.
Product photographers and freelance photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Photographer | Freelance Photographer | |
| Average salary | $37,701 | $42,949 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $59,000 | Between $29,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a product photographer and a freelance photographer in terms of educational background:
| Product Photographer | Freelance Photographer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between product photographers' and freelance photographers' demographics:
| Product Photographer | Freelance Photographer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1% | Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.7% 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 Percentage | 11% | 11% |