Aerial photographers: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Aerial photographers travel in planes or helicopters to capture photographs of buildings and landscapes. They often use cameras with gyrostabilizers to counteract the movement of the aircraft and ensure high-quality images.
- Education Required
- Although postsecondary education is not required for most photographers, many take classes or earn a bachelors degree in a related field because such an education can improve their skills and employment prospects.
- Training Required
- Photographers have a talent or natural ability for taking good photos, and this talent is typically cultivated over years of practice. Photographers often start working as an assistant to a professional photographer, learning on the job. This work provides an opportunity to gain experience, build the photographers portfolios, and gain exposure to prospective clients. In addition, photographers must be trained on how to use picture-editing software.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: -8% (Decline)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Licenses/Certifications
- Photographers who commercially operate drones, or unmanned aerial systems (UASs), must obtain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They must fulfill the following criteria:
- Median pay: How much do Photographers make?
- $34,070 Annual Salary
- $16.38 per hour
Careers for Photographers
- Advertising photographers
- Commercial and industrial photographers
- Drone photographers
- Fine-arts photographers
- Industrial photographers
- Marine photographers
- Medical photographers
- News photographers
- Newspaper photojournalists
- Photojournalists
- Portrait photographers
- School photographers
- Scientific photographers
- Wedding photographers