Photographers

Low Risk
36%
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Vote Comments (17)
Or, Explore This Profession in Greater Detail...
AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
34%
(Low Risk)
POLLING
37%
(Low Risk)
Average: 36%
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
3.9%
by year 2033
WAGES
$40,760
or $19.59 per hour
Volume
53,630
as of 2023
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
4.7/10

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Calculated automation risk

34% (Low Risk)

Low Risk (21-40%): Jobs in this level have a limited risk of automation, as they demand a mix of technical and human-centric skills.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Originality

  • Fine Arts

  • Social Perceptiveness

  • Manual Dexterity

User poll

37% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 34% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Photographers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph is included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Moderate growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Photographers' job openings is expected to rise 3.9% by 2033

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2024.

Wages

Very low paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Photographers' was $40,760, or $19 per hour

'Photographers' were paid 15.2% lower than the national median wage, which stood at $48,060

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Moderate range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 53,630 people employed as 'Photographers' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 2 thousand people are employed as 'Photographers'.

Job description

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.

SOC Code: 27-4021.00

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Comments

Leave a comment

Hasan Tahsin Cinbaş (No chance) 2 months ago
A photographer captures what they want to convey, and this varies according to their emotional state and mood. Just like a writer or painter, they transfer their feelings into the photograph, and this is also a form of emotional expression.
0 0 Reply
Laurentiu Juravle (Low) 8 months ago
I think that photography is a mix of emotion, talent, and technique. Sure, a robot can make a picture as beautiful as mine, but it can't capture the precious moments like a photographer.
2 0 Reply
Owen (Low) 1 year ago
Humans taking photographs of the world is a much more accurate and valuable approach rather than having AI generated images etc. It's more authentic
1 0 Reply
Tomeu Ozonas (Highly likely) 1 year ago
Product CGI plus Generative AI will supply most photographic needs, such as home decor and food. Stock images will be absorbed and or replaced by Generative AI. Blockchain digital watermarks can help to save some traditional artistic and commercial photography.
0 0 Reply
Laurel 1 year ago
I'm a photographer, and the photography industry is doomed. AI image generation technology already exists, so all that has to happen is for it to become mainstream enough to be cheap to produce and add to most smartphones. Not only will the image quality be better, but it can also produce multiple images at once. In fact, AI images can even be copyrighted in some countries. The worst part is that since photographers are not paid much, there will not be much motivation to save the industry.
1 2 Reply
Tacio Philip 2 years ago
A lot of photographers' jobs can easily be replaced by automated drones and some AI to select frames from a high-definition video. There's no secret or creativity in many photography jobs (almost all social events, products...).

And yes, I'm a professional photographer, but as Galileo told us, we are not the center of the universe. :-P
1 1 Reply
jenna talia (Highly likely) 2 years ago
drones. drones will fly around and take pictures
0 1 Reply
Jo (Low) 2 years ago
I think that a robot could take a photo if it was trained to, but it could never see beauty or creativity like a human.

For example, a robot could take photos with the correct settings and a cool angle, but a robot could never look at something and realize the true beauty and emotions that a human could feel.

So, a robot might take a photo with the correct ISO, AP, SP, and an angle that it has been programmed to look at. But never emotions because in the end, it's a machine.
1 0 Reply
jagbar (Highly likely) 3 years ago
Already happening with AI photos
1 0 Reply
Abby (No chance) 3 years ago
Robots could not take over the personal touch and creative ideas photographers use in every single shot. There is not programing that could replace a person for this job.
0 0 Reply
isuzu222 3 years ago
The only reason this won't be replaced by robots is because the pay is so low there is no real reason to actively try to replace the profession. Also, this is easily a hobby profession/'freelancing' and will continue to have its niche just like we still have people using the Polaroids for fun.
0 1 Reply
Derek 1 year ago
Cashiers will be replaced and they are paid even less.
0 1 Reply
Ryan (Highly likely) 4 years ago
Several forms of photography, particularly product photography, have already been largely automated with locations where you can bring your product, place it in a lightbox set, and AI assists the (non-photographer) customer in taking a series of professionally lit product shots. They're quite effective, will be easy to expand to new locations. Many of the techniques will eventually be possible to extend to portrait photography as well.

AI algorithms are already deeply progressed in combing through google street view to crop and process landscape and urban photography according to classical composition standards. At this point, the primary limiting factor is the sample quality, but much of the principles used will be possible to extend to drones surveying scenic areas.

While the small field of fine art photography will likely be unaffected, the majority of commercial or stock applications of photography are very likely to be done "well enough" by automatization to satisfy the primary customers of the field.
0 0 Reply
Celso Ribeiro (Low) 5 years ago
Atividade que envolve dinâmica com grande variação que não se prevê..e o fator determinante que o robô (IA) não vai atingir...a Sensibilidade Humana.
0 0 Reply
xenon2 (Moderate) 5 years ago
AI can measure photo quality and take "infinite" number of photos, then based on selection will select best shots.
Imagine ball with lenses floating around, then from 100k pictures 100 is selected, based on "rememberability" and other defined patterns trained from famous photographers.
0 0 Reply
Suffyim 2 years ago
I think one reason photography will not be entirely automated is because robots can't exactly be inspired by anything.

From the little experience I have, I know it takes more than being knowledgeable and aware of the techniques of photography to take a good photo. Sure, it plays a role, but you need to feel emotion from the image to know that it is a good photo.

An AI can't do that.
0 0 Reply
E 5 years ago
I think e-commerce photography that is very technical could be replaced by robots but from my experience, I think it very unlikely and hard to imagine that robots will do better than agency talents for editorial/creative photography
0 0 Reply

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