Photojournalists

Salaries vary drastically depending on the size and location of the employers. In general, the smaller the employer, the smaller the salary. Larger news organizations can offer staff photojournalists much more pay and added benefits such as medical insurance.

Freelance rates are dependent on both the experience of the photographer and the size of the magazine, but can sometimes be as high as $800 per day. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that salaried photographers, which includes photojournalists, earned average annual salaries of $53,380 in May 2023. Salaries ranged from less than $28,510 to more than $95,740.

The DOL reports that photographers who were employed by newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers earned average salaries of $53,870 in 2023, while those who worked for television broadcasting stations earned $60,600.

Depending on their employers, most salaried photojournalists enjoy a full complement of benefits, including vacation and sick time as well as holidays and medical and dental insurance. Self-employed workers must provide their own benefits.