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The differences between staff photographers and professional 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 staff photographer and a professional photographer. Additionally, a professional photographer has an average salary of $44,490, which is higher than the $37,094 average annual salary of a staff photographer.
The top three skills for a staff photographer include product photography, adobe photoshop and event coverage. The most important skills for a professional photographer are adobe photoshop, customer service, and adobe lightroom.
| Staff Photographer | Professional Photographer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,094 | $44,490 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $21.39 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 69,695 | 44,681 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Staff photographers and professional photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Photographer | Professional Photographer | |
| Average salary | $37,094 | $44,490 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $64,000 | Between $31,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | - |
| Highest paying state | - | - |
| Best paying company | - | - |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a staff photographer and a professional photographer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Photographer | Professional Photographer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Photography | Photography |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between staff photographers' and professional photographers' demographics:
| Staff Photographer | Professional Photographer | |
| Average age | 39 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.8% Female, 38.2% | Male, 47.4% Female, 52.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |