Photographer Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects little or no change in employment of photographers from 2025 to 2035 (-0.7%, about 1,000 fewer jobs), with about 10,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $44,660 a year ranks 668th of 825 occupations.
- Little or no change
- -0.7%
- Openings a year
- 10,700
- Median pay
- $44,660
- Pay rank
- 668th of 825
Is employment of photographers growing or shrinking?
Little or no change: BLS projects -0.7% employment change for photographers from 2025 to 2035 (about 1,000 fewer jobs), slower than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +1.5% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 41 arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations with a projection. That change ranks 629th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 145,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 144,000 |
| Projected change | -0.7% (little or no change) |
| Openings a year | 10,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 145,000 jobs here differ from the 51,760 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 10,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 265th most of 830 occupations. All of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force, since BLS projects no net new jobs.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for photographers rank?
The median of $44,660 a year ranks 668th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on openings and the lower half on pay.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | -2.9% | 2,200 | $55,490 |
| Graphic Designers | -1.7% | 16,000 | $62,960 |
| Special Effects Artists and Animators | -0.3% | 4,200 | $102,030 |
| Art Directors | +4.2% | 12,200 | $114,850 |
| Film and Video Editors | +3.7% | 3,100 | $75,420 |
| Craft Artists | +2.0% | 1,000 | $46,080 |
| Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film | +1.3% | 2,500 | $74,990 |
| Writers and Authors | -0.3% | 11,900 | $76,910 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.