Also called: Stock Content Creator, Microstock Photographer
Shoots photos and video clips of everyday scenes that companies license from sites like Getty Images, Shutterstock, and Adobe Stock.
A stock photographer plans a shoot of 'friends studying together,' hires models, and shoots 300 frames in different moods. Back home they edit, add keywords, file model releases, and upload the best, hoping each one earns small payments for years.
Approximate; very uneven; AI image generators have cut what simple stock photos earn.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 1 year after high school. No degree required; photography skill and a portfolio.
Ways in: Self-taught, 4-year college. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Photography, Digital Media.
Shrinking. Generative AI is replacing many simple stock images.
High risk for 10 years. AI image generators now make simple stock images in seconds; real events, people, and places still sell, but the market is shrinking.
Classes: Photography, Business, Art.
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.