It is possible to make a great salary as a self-taught professional photographer
While it may be beneficial to attend a college or university photography program, there are no degree requirements to becoming a professional photographer in most fields. Many of today's greatest photographers are self-taught. It's also true that the market is oversaturated with people who buy a nice camera and consider themselves a self-taught photographer. A fancy camera doesn't guarantee a high salary. How much you will earn as a self-taught professional photographer depends on a number of factors, including your skill level, years of experience, target clients, and business know-how.
Self-Employed Professional Photographers
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of the photographers working in the United States in 2008 were self-employed. While self-employment offers greater freedom of expression, autonomy, and a flexible schedule, it also can mean an uncertain and inconsistent income stream. Self-employed photographers, whether self-taught or college educated, also incur considerable expenses acquiring and maintaining their cameras, props, and other necessary equipment and accessories to run their business. According to Simply Hired, the average freelance photography salary in 2011 was $40,000. Your level of experience, target market, portfolio, and geographic location are all factors that affect income.
Salaried Professional Photographers
In most cases, salaried photographers earn more than self-employed photographers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wages for salaried photographers in 2008 were $29,440 in 2008. The highest 10 percent earned more than $62,430 annually and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,920. DegreeFinders.com claims different figures, stating that the average entry-level photographer salary ranges anywhere from $42,368 and $62,996. There is no differentiation between college-educated and self-taught photographers in these statistics.
Examples of Self-Taught Professional Photographers
Famous photographers earn considerably more and unknown photographers just starting out in their career will likely earn less. There have been many famous self-taught professional photographers in recent history. Edward Steichen was a self-taught photographer who became one of the most successful commercial photographers of all time. Fashion photographers are almost always self-taught professional photographers, according to Becomeopedia.com. Many of them are freelancers and earn between $30,000 and $60,000 annually. Many freelance portrait, family, and children's photographers are self-taught.
Earn More Money
According to GetDegrees, earning a degree in photography, or merely taking a few photography classes at a community college, will greatly increase your chances of earning a good salary. Formal training will increase your chances of being hired at a photography studio or by a newspaper, magazine, or corporation. This doesn't mean that it's impossible for a self-taught professional photographer to be hired at a studio or to earn a great salary based on her experience alone. Many self-taught professional photographers thrive and enjoy immensely successful and satisfying photography careers.
