Headline risk
17%
Moderate RiskPhotographers
AI displacement pressure score for United States AI Work Index, combining global AI task overlap with local wages, employment trends, and demand signals.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 10% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 42,520
Employment 2024
151.2K
Projected Change (2024–34)
1.8%
Openings (2024–34)
12.7K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of photographers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 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. AI use: 0%
- 2. Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors. AI use: 0%
- 3. Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects. AI use: 89%
- 4. Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission. AI use: 0%
- 5. Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments. AI use: 0%
- 6. Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software. AI use: 98%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 41.0 · 216K employed
Under 25: 11% · 25–54: 69% · 55+: 19%
Related
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Data quality
Employment data available
Narrative & sources
Photographers use their technical expertise and creativity to produce and preserve images of people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects.
Many photographers are self-employed. They work in varied settings, including in studios and on location. Travel may be required. Part-time work is common, and work schedules may vary.
Photographers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation. Many photographers take classes or earn a certificate or degree in photography or a related field to improve their skills.
The median hourly wage for photographers was $20.44 in May 2024.
Employment of photographers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Important context
This score measures structural AI displacement pressure, not actual job losses. Local wages and demand data are specific to United States AI Work Index; the underlying AI task overlap analysis is consistent across all countries.