Career
Photographers
Capture people, places and moments in photographs.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “share decreases as more images are generated by artificial intelligence (AI) tools, substituting for some photographers.”
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then creation & expression?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Speaking, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $44,660 a year and 10,700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Fine and Studio ArtsSee the degree →
- Design and Applied ArtsSee the degree →
- Film and PhotographySee the degree →
- JournalismSee the degree →
- PhotojournalismCIP 09.0404
- Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralCIP 50.0101
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators$40,610 · -5.6%
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators$55,490 · -2.9%
- Graphic Designers$62,960 · -1.7%
- Special Effects Artists and Animators$102,030 · -0.3%
- Art Directors$114,850 · +4.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.