Photographers vs Graphic Designers
Median pay is about $18k higher for Graphic Designers. The usual entry education is high school for Photographers and bachelor's for Graphic Designers.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Photographers | Graphic Designers |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $44,660 | $62,960, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $36,050 | $49,040, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $62,740 | $81,830, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | -0.7% Declining, higher | -1.7% Declining |
| Openings a year | 10,700 | 16,000 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school | Bachelor's |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.4 / 5 | 2.4 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | High | Very high |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 63rd pct | 85th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Photographers
- Monitoring
Only Graphic Designers
- Writing
Both lean on active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking, active learning.
More comparisons
Compare Photographers with
Compare Graphic Designers with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.