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The differences between professional photographers and commercial 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 professional photographer and a commercial photographer. Additionally, a professional photographer has an average salary of $44,490, which is higher than the $37,027 average annual salary of a commercial photographer.
The top three skills for a professional photographer include adobe photoshop, customer service and adobe lightroom. The most important skills for a commercial photographer are product photography, adobe photoshop, and art direction.
| Professional Photographer | Commercial Photographer | |
| Yearly salary | $44,490 | $37,027 |
| Hourly rate | $21.39 | $17.80 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 44,681 | 33,133 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Professional photographers and commercial photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Photographer | Commercial Photographer | |
| Average salary | $44,490 | $37,027 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $62,000 | Between $23,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Armedia |
| Best paying industry | - | Utilities |
There are a few differences between a professional photographer and a commercial photographer in terms of educational background:
| Professional Photographer | Commercial Photographer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between professional photographers' and commercial photographers' demographics:
| Professional Photographer | Commercial Photographer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6% | Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 7.1% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |