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Photography

Types of Degrees Photography Majors Are Earning

Those studying Photography may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	136
Associate’s Degree	380
Bachelor’s Degree	1,134
Master’s Degree	382

What Photography Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in 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

Skills developed in a 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 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, 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 Photography professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Photography graduates include:

• Artist Instructor
• Photography Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Music Theory Professor
• Stagecraft Teacher
• Dramatic Art Teacher
• Singing Teacher
• Organ Teacher
• Baton Teacher
• Voice Teacher
• University Faculty Member
• Ballet Teacher
• Makeup Artistry Instructor
• Performing Arts Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to 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 Photography?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64.2% of Photography degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,326	64.2%
Men	740	35.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	986	47.7%
Asian	104	5.0%
Hispanic or Latino	418	20.2%
Black or African American	177	8.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	12	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	76	3.7%
Race Unknown	97	4.7%
International Students	193	9.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Photography Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Photography graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$25,545
4 years	$35,590
5 years	$41,647

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $41,647 — roughly 63% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Photography Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for 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	7
Bachelor’s	5	2
Master’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 Photography Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Photography graduates earn a median of $35,590 four years after completion — about 6% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{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
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	50.06
Cinematography and Film/Video Production	50.0602
Documentary Production	50.0607
Film/Cinema/Media Studies	50.0601
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other	50.0699
Art/Art Studies, General	50.0701
Commercial Photography	50.0406
Digital Arts	50.0102
Visual and Performing Arts, General	50.0101
Acting	50.0506
Art History, Criticism and Conservation	50.0703
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General	50.1001

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.