National Salary Scales

• The average salary of photographers in 2009 was $36,370 a year, equating to $17.48 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary was $29,770 annually and $14.31 hourly. In terms of starting salary, the bottom 10% made $17,120 a year or less, and the bottom 25% made $21,150 a year or less.
  
  

Work Environment

• The field of photography varies considerably, and the skills required in each category will change depending on the sector or industry. Many work as photojournalists, where their work will involve subjects such as news events, and will be displayed in newspapers and magazines. Commercial photographers are employed to take pictures of various products or buildings, where their work will be used for a variety of purposes, such as stock media or websites. Fine arts photographers take pictures purely for their artistic merit. Starting salaries will vary depending on the photographer's specialization.
  
  

Biggest Employers

• The biggest employers of photographers in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was the sector of "other professional, scientific and technical services", employing a total of 39,580 photographers. This was followed by the newspaper, periodical, book and directory publishers, employing 4,940, the radio and television broadcasting sector, with 4,330, "other personal services", which includes freelancers, at 940, and colleges and universities, which employed 740 photographers in 2009.
  
  

Qualifications and Outlook

• For those wishing to enter specializations such as photojournalism or commercial photography, a college degree in photography is usually required. A degree in photography may be taken at a variety of community colleges or art schools. Competition is keen, and thus any potential professional photographer should develop a network of contacts in the specialization of their choice. Those who enter freelancing often require previous professional experience demonstrated through a portfolio.