How To Become A Still Photographer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a still photographer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Peter Glendinning

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a still photographer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $44.81 an hour? That's $93,209 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 11,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a still photographer?

Peter Glendinning

W.J. Beal Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University

More photographs are made in 2 minutes today than were made in the first 20 years of
the medium's existence, from 1839-1859, but the markets for professional photography are endlessly greater today than they were at the beginning as well. While everyone with a mobile phone camera can make photographs, it has raised the awareness that there
is a big difference between professionally made images and amateur ones. A photographer who can demonstrate their expertise is as much in demand today as at any time in the medium's history.

ScoreStill PhotographerUS Average

Salary

7.3

Avg. Salary $93,209

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.5

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 7.04%

Black or African American 6.35%

Hispanic or Latino 15.26%

Unknown 5.71%

White 65.42%

Gender

female 42.17%

male 57.83%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.9

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a still photographer

Explore still photographer education requirements

Most common still photographer degrees

Bachelor's

66.5 %

Associate

19.7 %

Master's

8.0 %

Start to develop specific still photographer skills

Skills	Percentages
Adobe Photoshop	19.99%
Photography Services	18.83%
Lightroom	10.54%
Crime Scenes	9.92%
Music Videos	7.69%

Complete relevant still photographer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New still photographers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a still photographer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real still photographer resumes.

Research still photographer duties and responsibilities

Coordinate and manage providing and dressing the customers with old western costumes in preparation of taking their photos.
Support base-level, technical, contingency, reconnaissance, special mission production, and combat requirements.
Create numerous photomontages, PowerPoint presentations, extensive studio, news, criminal, and copy photography.
Photograph ceremonies, natural disasters, investigative situations and VIP visits.

Prepare your still photographer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your still photographer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a still photographer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable still photographer resume templates

Build a professional still photographer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your still photographer resume.