Popular Career Paths/Salaries for Photography Majors

DSLR camera

Are you thinking about majoring in photography but scared that means you will be stuck taking portraits of preschoolers who don’t want to smile for the rest of your life?  If so, cheer up! There are actually many different career paths for photography majors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists seven types of photographers: portrait, commercial and industrial, aerial, scientific, news, fine arts, and university.

Photographers make around $14.00 per hour or $29,130 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but photographers working for large organizations or in dangerous locations may have the ability to earn considerably more, especially if they are photography majors.

Types of Careers for Photography Majors

Portrait Photographers

Probably one of the most common types of photographers is the portrait photographer. Portrait photographers may have a studio where they take family photos or they may travel to take photos of events. There are several different types of portrait photographers, including the following:

- Wedding Photographers
- School Photographers
- Sports Team Photographers

Commercial and Industrial Photographers

These photographers take photos of buildings, plants, construction sites, and other similar subjects. The photos are used for internal and external publications and documentation and analysis.

Aerial Photographers

Aerial photographers take photos of landscapes from planes and helicopters. These photos are used for artistic purposes and to document landscapes for boundaries, city planning, and police work.

Scientific Photographers

Scientific photographers record important images so scientists and other professionals can draw conclusions. Some scientific photographers photograph experiments and lab procedures, while others photograph environmental phenomenon. Still others are forensic photographers, who document crime scenes so that law enforcement officials can solve cases.

News Photographers

Called photographic journalists, news photographers take the pictures that accompany news stories. They may be employed by newspapers, news websites, magazines, or other news publications. News photographers may travel to take photos of global events, like wars and disasters, or they may work in their localities, taking photos for human interest stories.

University Photographers

University photographers are generally on-staff at a university to take photos at all university events for archives and marketing. They may also take portrait photos for yearbooks and other school publications. In some cases, larger high schools, school districts, and even private organizations may hire their own photographers.

Whether you prefer people, animals, or items as your subject, there is an area of photography for every one of you photography majors. However, each area requires a different type of training. But before all of that, of course, to create photography majors, you must enroll. So start today!

Get information on photography degrees by using the form on this page.  School representatives will guide you through the process and answer an questions you might have.

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