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Professional photographer vs product photographer

The differences between professional photographers and product 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 product photographer. Additionally, a professional photographer has an average salary of $44,490, which is higher than the $37,701 average annual salary of a product photographer.

The top three skills for a professional photographer include adobe photoshop, customer service and adobe lightroom. The most important skills for a product photographer are adobe photoshop, photograph products, and product images.

Professional photographer vs product photographer overview

Professional PhotographerProduct Photographer
Yearly salary$44,490$37,701
Hourly rate$21.39$18.13
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs44,68157,109
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Professional photographer vs product photographer salary

Professional photographers and product photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Professional PhotographerProduct Photographer
Average salary$44,490$37,701
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $62,000Between $23,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between professional photographer and product photographer education

There are a few differences between a professional photographer and a product photographer in terms of educational background:

Professional PhotographerProduct Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityHarvard University

Professional photographer vs product photographer demographics

Here are the differences between professional photographers' and product photographers' demographics:

Professional PhotographerProduct Photographer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 47.4% Female, 52.6%Male, 52.9% Female, 47.1%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between professional photographer and product photographer duties and responsibilities

Professional photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Demonstrate professionalism and confidence out in the field gaining a greater understanding of photojournalism and photography
  • Retouch images including removing imperfections, color correcting and creating composite images.

Product photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage post and add editorial photos to the company Facebook page.
  • Manage assistants and stylist teams to ensure timely completion of brand-appropriate studio photography.
  • Photograph products for catalog using studio lighting, DSLR and background.
  • Table top, fashion models, jewelry, furniture, etc.
  • Film scanners used include those make by Imacon, Nikon, and Epson.
  • Photograph new and used vehicles for Motorwerks of Barrington using DSLR camera and equipment.
  • Show more

Professional photographer vs product photographer skills

Common professional photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 37%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 7%
  • Photo Shoots, 5%
  • Event Photography, 3%
  • Portfolio, 3%
Common product photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 20%
  • Photograph Products, 11%
  • Product Images, 6%
  • Quality Images, 6%
  • Color Correction, 4%
  • Art Direction, 4%

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