How To Become A Senior Photographer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior photographer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted Expert

Susan McSpadden

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a senior photographer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.16 an hour? That's $35,699 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 11,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Senior Photographer?

Susan McSpadden

Marketing Photographer, Johnson County Community College

I think the job market for photographers is tough right now, in the same way it is for many other professions. Companies are either holding steady with their current workforce or making cuts to stay afloat until the pandemic is under control and the economy starts to consistently improve. We've had quite a few members of our organization, the University Photographers' of America Association, lose their jobs, take a pay cut, or be furloughed for an extended period. It's challenging for seasoned photographers with a solid resume to find work. For recent graduates in the field, who don't have experience on their side, it has to be exponentially more difficult. The good news is that companies, organizations and publications have an easier time hiring a freelancer than a full time employee, so if you're self-motivated, with your own gear, there are good freelance opportunities out there.

ScoreSenior PhotographerUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,699

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

4.5

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 7.02%

Black or African American 6.32%

Hispanic or Latino 15.15%

Unknown 5.70%

White 65.58%

Gender

female 41.15%

male 58.85%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress Level

4.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

1.9

Work Life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior photographer

Explore senior photographer education requirements

Most common senior photographer degrees

Bachelor's

60.5 %

Associate

22.1 %

High School Diploma

6.9 %

Start to develop specific senior photographer skills

Skills	Percentages
Digital Photography	24.09%
Adobe Photoshop	18.91%
Camera Equipment	5.95%
Customer Service	5.02%
Art Direction	4.56%

Complete relevant senior photographer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior photographers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior photographer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior photographer resumes.

Research senior photographer duties and responsibilities

Manage assistants and stylist teams to ensure timely completion of brand-appropriate studio photography.
Skil using DSLR and video cameras, editing capture products of any kind.
Generate engaging lifestyle, editorial, celebrity, and model images in fast-pace, fully-digital production studio.
Provide organize paperwork and communication within Lifetouch's multiple sites nation wide and co-workers.

Get senior photographer experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a senior photographer. The most common roles before becoming a senior photographer include photographer, freelance photographer team lead and sales associate.

Prepare your senior photographer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior photographer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior photographer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Senior Photographer Resume templates

Build a professional Senior Photographer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Senior Photographer resume.