Training and Hourly Mean Wage

• Training differs based on photographer type. Freelance photography requires technical expertise gained as an assistant or by taking a photography course. Photojournalists, industrial and scientific photographers need a college degree in photography or journalism with photography courses. Some freelance photographers take business and marketing courses to increase earning potential. In 2010, photographers earned a full-time hourly wage of $17.30 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  
  

Earnings by Industry

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that photographers employed in the motion picture and video industry earned an hourly mean wage of $36.64. Photographers working in printing and related support activities earned $25.26 per hour. Radio and television broadcasting industries paid an hourly mean wage of $20.89. Photographers employed in the newspaper, periodical, book and directory publishers industry earned an hourly mean wage of $19.51.
  
  

Earnings by Location

• Photographers in the District of Columbia, Connecticut, New York, Illinois and Virginia earned above-average wages as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2010. Photographers in the District of Columbia earned an hourly mean wage of $26.98. Connecticut-based photographers earned $26.87 per hour. Photographers employed in New York earned an hourly wage of $23.38. Photographers working in Illinois and Virginia earned $21.74 and $20.86 per hour, respectively.
  
  

Photojournalists

• Photojournalists tell a story through photographed images. A photojournalist collects data, conducts research and investigates possible news stories before releasing the images to the public. A skilled photojournalist possesses the knowledge needed to create and edit digital images and work with a variety of photography equipment. A photojournalist must possess excellent written skills as his duties may require copywriting and editing. An entry-level photojournalist can expect a starting salary of $37,900 annually, which equals an hourly rate of $18.22. The average annual salary of a photojournalist is around $42,490 per year or $20.43 per hour, according to College Crunch at the time of publication.
  
  

Field Photographers

• Field photographers shoot on location instead of a fixed studio. These photography professionals cover a variety of venues ranging from birthday parties to wedding ceremonies. Their hours are often long and nontraditional in that they do not work normal shifts. Field photographers spend a majority of time communicating with clients and coordinating the tasks of their assignments. At the time of publication, the starting salary for a field photographer ranges from $29,775 to $70,503 or $14.31 to $33.90 per hour, per College Crunch wage approximations.