Photographer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$44,660

BLS May 2025

1. Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors. importance 4.9 of 5
3. Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects. importance 4.8 of 5
4. Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission. importance 4.8 of 5
5. Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments. importance 4.8 of 5
6. Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software. importance 4.7 of 5
7. Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location. importance 4.7 of 5
8. Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques. importance 4.6 of 5
9. Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order. importance 4.6 of 5
10. Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas. importance 4.5 of 5
11. Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies. importance 4.5 of 5
12. Review sets of photographs to select the best work. importance 4.5 of 5
13. Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras. importance 4.5 of 5
14. Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff. importance 4.4 of 5
15. Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly. importance 4.2 of 5
16. Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions. importance 4.2 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships and Selling or Influencing Others.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.
• Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.
• Write photograph captions.
• Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.
• Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.
• Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a photographer.

The most common answer among O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation is some college courses (27%).

Job title: Photographer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Photographer to photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
- Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
- Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
- Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and service orientation
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Sales and Marketing
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $44,660 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $21.47. BLS estimates about 51,760 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of photographers to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full photographer salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real photographer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only photographer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking); photographer interview questions turns them into practice questions.