Sports photographer demographics and statistics in the US
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Sports photographer demographics by:
Sports photographer gender statistics
37.3% of sports photographers are women and 62.7% of sports photographers are men.
- Male, 62.7%
- Female, 37.3%
Sports photographer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 62.7% |
| Female | 37.3% |
Sports photographer gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$28,445
Female income
$27,301
Sports photographer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sports photographer positions over time. Currently, 37.3% of sports photographers are female.
Sports photographer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 61.75% | 38.25% |
| 2011 | 61.70% | 38.30% |
| 2012 | 60.46% | 39.54% |
| 2013 | 58.77% | 41.23% |
| 2014 | 61.52% | 38.48% |
| 2015 | 64.53% | 35.47% |
| 2016 | 65.33% | 34.67% |
| 2017 | 64.72% | 35.28% |
| 2018 | 63.66% | 36.34% |
| 2019 | 59.98% | 40.02% |
| 2020 | 56.55% | 43.45% |
| 2021 | 62.67% | 37.33% |
Sports photographer related jobs gender ratio
We compared sports photographers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, broadcast maintenance engineer and audio installer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Photographer Helper | 18% | 82% |
| Studio Associate | 23% | 77% |
| Photography Internship | 30% | 70% |
| Sports Photographer | 63% | 37% |
| News Cameraman | 95% | 5% |
| Audio Installer | 95% | 5% |
| Broadcast Maintenance Engineer | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sports photographer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sports photographers is White, which makes up 65.4% of all sports photographers. Comparatively, 15.5% of sports photographers are Hispanic or Latino and 7.1% of sports photographers are Asian.
- White, 65.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.5%
- Asian, 7.1%
- Black or African American, 6.4%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Sports photographer race
| Sports photographer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.5% |
| Asian | 7.1% |
| Black or African American | 6.4% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Sports photographer race and ethnicity over time
See how sports photographer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sports photographer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 73.12% | 6.51% | 4.74% | 13.91% |
| 2011 | 74.69% | 5.84% | 4.43% | 12.40% |
| 2012 | 72.22% | 5.87% | 4.38% | 14.41% |
| 2013 | 72.65% | 5.94% | 4.98% | 13.48% |
| 2014 | 72.88% | 5.70% | 5.20% | 13.13% |
| 2015 | 71.73% | 6.37% | 4.91% | 14.16% |
| 2016 | 72.47% | 4.43% | 5.33% | 14.66% |
| 2017 | 72.49% | 6.27% | 4.50% | 14.07% |
| 2018 | 69.91% | 6.44% | 5.85% | 15.23% |
| 2019 | 71.75% | 5.70% | 5.57% | 14.09% |
| 2020 | 69.93% | 5.14% | 5.53% | 14.43% |
| 2021 | 65.38% | 6.42% | 7.10% | 15.51% |
Sports photographer wage gap by race
According to our data, white sports photographers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american sports photographers have the lowest average salary at $28,200.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $28,557 |
| White | $28,711 |
| Black or African American | $28,200 |
| Asian | $28,444 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $28,318 |
Average sports photographer age
See how the average age of sports photographers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sports photographer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 34 | 30 |
| White | 43 | 34 |
| Black or African American | 33 | |
| Asian | 35 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 38 | 33 |
Sports photographer age breakdown
The average age of sports photographers is 40+ years years old, representing 44% of the sports photographer population.
Sports photographer age breakdown
| Sports Photographer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 44% |
| 30-40 years | 33% |
| 20-30 years | 23% |
Sports photographer educational attainment
The most common degree for sports photographers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of sports photographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Sports photographers by degree level
| Sports photographer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 73% |
| Associate | 13% |
| High School Diploma | 8% |
| Master's | 4% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Sports photographer jobs you might like
Sports photographer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, sports photographers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $28,908 annually. With a Associate degree, sports photographers earn a median annual income of $27,940 compared to $27,401 for sports photographers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,401 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $28,908 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $27,940 |
Sports photographer employment statistics
Most sports photographers work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where sports photographers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sports photographers work.
Sports photographer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 30% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 30% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Sports photographer jobs by company type
Employees with the sports photographer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sports photographers prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Sports photographer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 46% |
| Public | 7% |
| Private | 45% |
| Government | 2% |
Sports photographer jobs by industry
The most common industries for sports photographers are education, media and professional.
Sports photographer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 42% |
| Media | 25% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Start-up | 3% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Sports photographer turnover and employment statistics
Sports photographer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sports photographers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sports photographer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sports photographer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.20% |
| 2011 | 12.90% |
| 2012 | 10.02% |
| 2013 | 11.78% |
| 2014 | 8.02% |
| 2015 | 8.68% |
| 2016 | 6.42% |
| 2017 | 6.80% |
| 2018 | 6.68% |
| 2019 | 4.40% |
| 2020 | 12.28% |
| 2021 | 13.40% |
Average sports photographer tenure
The average sports photographer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 830 sports photographers resumes in Zippia's database.
Sports photographer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Sports photographer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sports photographers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Film Recordist | 5.55% | 54 |
| Video Tape Duplicator | 7.31% | 1,292 |
| Sports Photographer | 11.17% | - |
| Editing Internship | 11.70% | 49,315 |
| Graphic Designer | 12.14% | 45,625 |
| Design Consultant | 17.34% | 59,470 |
| Actress | 23.07% | 2,661 |
Similar sports photographer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Film Recordist | 5.55% | 54 |
| Video Tape Duplicator | 7.31% | 1,292 |
| Editing Internship | 11.70% | 49,315 |
| Graphic Designer | 12.14% | 45,625 |
| Design Consultant | 17.34% | 59,470 |
| Actress | 23.07% | 2,661 |
Foreign languages spoken by sports photographers
The most common foreign language among sports photographers is Spanish at 54.8%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.1% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 6.5%.
- Spanish, 54.8%
- French, 16.1%
- Chinese, 6.5%
- German, 3.2%
- Georgian, 3.2%
- Other, 16.2%
Sports photographer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 54.8% |
| French | 16.1% |
| Chinese | 6.5% |
| German | 3.2% |
| Georgian | 3.2% |
| Other | 16.2% |
