Photographers

Employment of photographers will increase by 4 percent (as fast as the average for all careers) from 2023 through 2033, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). Photography is a highly competitive field. There are far more photographers than full-time positions available. Only those who are extremely talented and highly skilled can support themselves as self-employed photographers. Many photographers take pictures as a sideline while working another job.

The number of self-employed photographers will increase by 7.2 percent from 2023 through 2033, according to the OOH. This is faster than the average for all careers. New images will be needed in education, communication, entertainment, marketing, advertising, and research. As the population grows and many families have more disposable income to spend, the demand should increase for photographers who specialize in portraiture, especially of children. Additionally, as the Internet grows and more newspapers, magazines, and book publishers turn to digital publishing, demand will increase for photographers to produce digital images. Job opportunities for photographers who work for media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers will grow faster than the average through 2033. On the other hand, employment for photographers at newspapers will decline by 19.4 percent through 2033.