Also called: Commercial Photographer
Shoots photos for big brand ad campaigns, billboards, and product launches.
An ad photographer works with an art director, stylist, and crew to shoot a sneaker campaign in a studio or on location. Pre-production can take weeks; the shoot itself is a few intense days. Retouching follows.
Estimate. Top ad photographers charge $5,000-$25,000+ per day; most commercial photographers earn much less.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 8 years after high school. Photography degree helps; a portfolio and agency representation matter most.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Photography, Fine Arts, Advertising.
Growing slowly. Competitive; budgets shifted to social content.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI-generated product and lifestyle images are cutting lower-budget commercial work; big campaigns with real people remain.
Classes: Photography, Graphic design, Marketing.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-4021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.