Photographers
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.
51,760 people do this job in the US. $44,660 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 32%
- 0%
- 68%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 20%. Today's estimate: 24%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 28 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 17% | 1.7 h25 min to 3.3 h | 65%Half by now | |
| Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 9% | 1.7 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 38 min8 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min8 min to 1.7 h | 84%Half by now | |
| Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 6% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 6% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.1 work days | Stays with people | |
| Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Review sets of photographs to select the best work.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 38 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| 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.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 3% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 3% | 5 h2.5 h to 1 work day | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators14% now, 14% by 2028
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators8% now, 40% by 2028
- Graphic Designers51% now, 97% by 2028
- Special Effects Artists and Animators7% now, 91% by 2028
- Art Directors27% now, 78% by 2028
- Prepress Technicians and Workers71% now, 77% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services28,850 people
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers1,670 people
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers1,620 people
- Amusement Parks and Arcades1,430 people
- Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations1,310 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).