Food Photographers

Earnings vary widely for photographers. The average annual salary for food photographers was $44,000 in 2024, according to PayScale.com. Ten percent of food photographers earned $35,000 or less, and the top 10 percent earned $51,000 or more.

Median annual earnings for salaried photographers were approximately $40,760 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The lowest paid 10 percent made less than $28,510, while the highest paid 10 percent made more than $95,740 per year. Mean annual earnings for photographers who worked for newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers were $53,870. Those who worked for media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers earned $79,520.

Freelance photographers have the ability to earn much more than their salaried counterparts because there is no limit to how many clients they may have or how many projects they may be working on at one time. However, commercial and food photography are very competitive fields, so earnings could vary from $0 to $500,000, depending on an individual's business savvy and professional contacts.

Salaried food photographers usually receive benefits such as vacation days, sick leave, health and life insurance, and a savings and pension program. Self-employed photographers must provide their own benefits.