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The differences between professional photographers and photographer assistants 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 photographer assistant. Additionally, a professional photographer has an average salary of $44,490, which is higher than the $36,555 average annual salary of a photographer assistant.
The top three skills for a professional photographer include adobe photoshop, customer service and adobe lightroom. The most important skills for a photographer assistant are adobe photoshop, photographic equipment, and photo shoots.
| Professional Photographer | Photographer Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $44,490 | $36,555 |
| Hourly rate | $21.39 | $17.57 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 44,681 | 1,771 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Professional photographers and photographer assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Photographer | Photographer Assistant | |
| Average salary | $44,490 | $36,555 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $62,000 | Between $20,000 And $64,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a professional photographer and a photographer assistant in terms of educational background:
| Professional Photographer | Photographer Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 54% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between professional photographers' and photographer assistants' demographics:
| Professional Photographer | Photographer Assistant | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6% | Male, 35.1% Female, 64.9% |
| 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, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |