Commercial Photographer
Produces images for clients on schedule and to brief. Half the work is lighting, half is running a small business.
- Pay band (est.)
- $38k–$100k
- Time to competence
- 6 years
- Licence
- None
- Setting
- mixed
- Leverage
- high
- Place constraint
- medium
- Physical demand
- 45/100
- Hours burden
- 60/100
Factor percentiles
Percentile against the whole curated set. Higher is better on that factor only.
- Play79th
Absorbing rather than merely paid.
- Specific knowledge78th
A combination of skills that is hard to copy.
- Leverage86th
Output that scales through code, media, capital or crew.
- Demand11th
Durability and shortage, scored conservatively.
- Pay17th
Mid-career floor and the range above it.
- Body52th
Inverse of physical demand and hours.
- Autonomy79th
Control of methods and time.
- People fit77th
Distance from your preferred people level.
- Place flexibility39th
Remote fit and freedom from specific metros.
- Time to skill44th
Inverse of years to competence.
- Meaning load9th
Care, craft and stewardship weight. Not a moral score.
- Downside tolerance38th
Inverse of named risk to body, market or platform.
Downside
Rates undercut constantly; feast-and-famine booking.
Examine this against your weights
The percentiles above use the default weights. Set your own on the ranking and this vocation moves with them.
- Place constraint is medium. Where you live is analysed at locationistics.com.
- Hours burden is 60/100 and people intensity 65/100. Who you are with is analysed at relationistics.com.
Source note: BLS/industry patterns; editorial estimate. All figures are estimates for comparison.