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Studio photographer vs freelance photographer

The differences between studio photographers and freelance 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 studio photographer and a freelance photographer. Additionally, a freelance photographer has an average salary of $42,949, which is higher than the $28,196 average annual salary of a studio photographer.

The top three skills for a studio photographer include customer service, scheduling appointments and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a freelance photographer are adobe photoshop, aperture, and adobe lightroom.

Studio photographer vs freelance photographer overview

Studio PhotographerFreelance Photographer
Yearly salary$28,196$42,949
Hourly rate$13.56$20.65
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs2,2261,766
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age3939
Years of experience22

Studio photographer vs freelance photographer salary

Studio photographers and freelance photographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Studio PhotographerFreelance Photographer
Average salary$28,196$42,949
Salary rangeBetween $18,000 And $43,000Between $29,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between studio photographer and freelance photographer education

There are a few differences between a studio photographer and a freelance photographer in terms of educational background:

Studio PhotographerFreelance Photographer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common majorPhotographyPhotography
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityHarvard University

Studio photographer vs freelance photographer demographics

Here are the differences between studio photographers' and freelance photographers' demographics:

Studio PhotographerFreelance Photographer
Average age3939
Gender ratioMale, 37.7% Female, 62.3%Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 7.0% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between studio photographer and freelance photographer duties and responsibilities

Studio photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage photographic operations and darkroom facility.
  • Generate engaging lifestyle, editorial, celebrity, and model images in fast-pace, fully-digital production studio.
  • Design and animate motion graphics for YouTube and promotional material.

Freelance photographer example responsibilities.

  • Manage HDR and PANO shots for greater Pittsburgh area.
  • Help manage a few bands Facebook pages and websites, including sharing and promoting shows and upcoming relate events.
  • Manage creative projects from concept to completion; including signs, posters, specialize logos and video documentaries for clients.
  • Provide commercial photography to assist company advertising and promotion on social platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
  • Experience with Nikon D90 and relate equipment.
  • Experience with Nikon D50 D2100 SLR digital cameras
  • Show more

Studio photographer vs freelance photographer skills

Common studio photographer skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 18%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 17%
  • Photo Studio, 5%
  • Photo Shoots, 4%
  • Digital Photography, 3%
Common freelance photographer skills
  • Adobe Photoshop, 30%
  • Aperture, 14%
  • Adobe Lightroom, 7%
  • Photo Shoots, 5%
  • Portfolio, 4%
  • Music Videos, 4%

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