Yearly Income of a Photographer
A photographer has the ability to capture everyday moments and turn them into art; where others take a snapshot, a photographer creates art. Whether working as a wedding photographer or as a photojournalist, your art can also earn you a living. Knowing a photographer's yearly earnings can help you decide upon a career that satisfies your soul as well as pays your bills.
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Median
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of a professional photographer in 2006 was $26,170. This is the median for salaried photographers, that is photographers who are employed by a company, corporation, or organization. Many photographers, however, work for themselves or are part-time photographers even if they are salaried.
Average
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The average salary range for a photographer in 2006 was between $18,000 and $38,000 a year. The variation in this range has more to do with skill level and geography than place of employment. Typically, photographers work for photography studios, but may also work for engineering firms, surveying companies, newspapers or other publishers, or may work as part of a crime scene processing unit collecting photographic evidence.
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Lowest and Highest
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The lowest reported salary for a photographer was $15,000. The highest-earning 10 percent of photographers, however, earned more than $56,000. The disparity between these ranges is mostly explained by experience, name recognition, and quality of work.
Education
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Most photographers are self-taught, though an increasing amount are educated at a university or college and have a fine arts degree or a photojournalism degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, photographers who wish to be employed as a photojournalist should have at least some formal training. During their training, photographers will be expected to purchase their own equipment, which may be expensive but is important for many employment opportunities. The experience gained by training, or through apprenticeship to a more experienced photographer, may increase the earning potential of the photographer.
Considerations
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More than 50 percent of photographers are self-employed. This means that their hours are flexible and their income varies with the amount and quality of jobs they acquire. Self-employed photographers can sometimes freelance for newspapers, magazines, or other publications, as well as perform photography duties at weddings, parties, and other social events. Some photographers who specialize in weddings may charge anywhere from $600 to more than $6,000 for their services, depending upon their client and their reputation.
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