Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between sports photographers and 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 sports photographer and a photographer. Additionally, a photographer has an average salary of $33,968, which is higher than the $27,958 average annual salary of a sports photographer.
The top three skills for a sports photographer include adobe photoshop, camera equipment and kids. The most important skills for a photographer are adobe photoshop, customer service, and excellent time management.
| Sports Photographer | Photographer | |
| Yearly salary | $27,958 | $33,968 |
| Hourly rate | $13.44 | $16.33 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 6,917 | 1,772 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.67 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Sports photographers are hired to take pictures of different sports events and athletes. They mainly work in print medias such as magazine or newspapers. Their photos must express the skill and emotion of the athletes. Sports photographers carry sophisticated cameras and shoot photos from different angles. Their photos could be mesmerizing to sports enthusiasts.
A photographer is an individual who focuses on the art of taking images with the use of a digital or traditional film camera. They are knowledgeable in the proper utilization and care of high-end cameras. They generally work as a freelancer and often hired to capture memories of unique clients. Some are also in exclusive partnerships with event-related industries in such settings as weddings, graduation, corporate events, and even commercial shoots. Apart from taking pictures, they also may be required to edit and prepare photographs to submit to clients or for publication.
Sports photographers and photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sports Photographer | Photographer | |
| Average salary | $27,958 | $33,968 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $34,000 | Between $22,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Jacobs Engineering Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a sports photographer and a photographer in terms of educational background:
| Sports Photographer | Photographer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between sports photographers' and photographers' demographics:
| Sports Photographer | Photographer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.7% Female, 37.3% | Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 7.1% White, 65.4% 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, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |