---

Commercial Photography

Types of Degrees Commercial Photography Majors Are Earning

Those studying Commercial Photography may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	110
Associate’s Degree	336
Bachelor’s Degree	103
Master’s Degree	239

What Commercial Photography Majors Need to Know

Programs in Commercial Photography emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Commercial Photography graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Commercial Photography emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Commercial Photography program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Commercial Photography careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Commercial Photography graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Commercial Photography professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Sonic Studio audio software	Music or sound editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Commercial Photography graduates include:

• Choral Teacher
• Music Professor
• Drama Teacher
• Orchestra Teacher
• Dance Instructor
• Elementary Art Instructor
• Art Educator
• Voice Teacher
• Makeup Artistry Instructor
• Piano Performance Professor
• Scene Design Lecturer
• Music Educator
• Adjunct Art Instructor
• Instructor
• Digital Arts Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Commercial Photography graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	46.7%
Doctoral degree	29.2%
Bachelor’s degree	13.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
Some college courses	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.4%
Postsecondary certificate	1.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Commercial Photography?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64.7% of Commercial Photography degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	582	64.7%
Men	317	35.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Commercial Photography graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	488	54.3%
Asian	31	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	203	22.6%
Black or African American	93	10.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	1.6%
Two or More Races	36	4.0%
Race Unknown	18	2.0%
International Students	16	1.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Commercial Photography Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Commercial Photography graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,054
4 years	$41,389
5 years	$46,982

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $46,982 — roughly 47% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Commercial Photography Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Commercial Photography. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	2
Bachelor’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Commercial Photography Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Commercial Photography graduates earn a median of $41,389 four years after completion — roughly 9% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Design and Applied Arts	50.04
Commercial and Advertising Art	50.0402
Design and Applied Arts, Other	50.0499
Design and Visual Communications, General	50.0401
Fashion/Apparel Design	50.0407
Game and Interactive Media Design	50.0411
Graphic Design	50.0409
Illustration	50.0410
Industrial and Product Design	50.0404
Interior Design	50.0408
Art/Art Studies, General	50.0701
Digital Arts	50.0102

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.