Captures games, athletes, and events in still images for teams, news outlets, wire services, and brands. BLS does not publish separate figures for photographers; it counts them within photographer (SOC 27-4021), whose median pay is $44,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 27-4021
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Sports Photographer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $44,660a year, or $21.47/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $31KTop 10% $92K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.7%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 10,700145,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025145K
- Projected 2035144K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 145K Projected 2035 144K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school9.1%
- High school18.2%
- Certificate13.6%
- Some college27.3%
- Associate's13.6%
- Bachelor's13.6%
Highest education held by photographers Segment Value Less than high school 9.1% High school 18.2% Certificate 13.6% Some college 27.3% Associate's 13.6% Bachelor's 13.6%
Also advertised as: Team Photographer, Sports Photojournalist, Athletics Photographer, Action Sports Photographer, Sideline Photographer.
Pay
How much do Photographers make?
Every sports photographer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$44,660
Middle half earn $36,050 to $62,740
- 10th
- $30,820
- 25th
- $36,050
- 75th
- $62,740
- 90th
- $91,810
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $30,820 |
| 25th | $36,050 |
| Median | $44,660 |
| 75th | $62,740 |
| 90th | $91,810 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $44,660
- Median hourly wage
- $21.47/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $55,410
- People employed
- 51,760
Versus all US occupations
At $44,660, Photographers earn 12% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $6,320 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $68,060, this is 34% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $91,810 or more while the bottom 10% earn $30,820, a gap of 3.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 11% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $110,970, and still leads at $100,973 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Photographers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $110,970 | $100,973 | 260 |
| 2New York | $60,050 | $55,643 | 3,650 |
| 3Massachusetts | $57,990 | $54,833 | 830 |
| 4Oregon | $53,630 | $51,886 | 510 |
| 5Utah | $52,140 | $52,739 | 660 |
| 6Delaware | $50,100 | $50,196 | 180 |
| 7Connecticut | $49,790 | $48,055 | 630 |
| 8New Mexico | $48,090 | $52,152 | 230 |
| 9Washington | $48,050 | $44,901 | 960 |
| 10California | $47,840 | $43,208 | 7,980 |
Job outlook
Is Sports Photographer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Photographers | −0.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Photographers to change -0.7% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 1,000 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 10,700 openings are projected each year, 7.4% of the 145,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Sports Photographer
There is no required degree, though many sports photographers studied photojournalism or visual communication. A strong portfolio of action work matters most, and people usually build one by shooting high school and college games, local events, and student publications.
The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) offers ethics guidance, education, and contests, and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) offers business and copyright resources for freelancers. Media credentials for major events usually require an assignment from a team or outlet.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as photographers.
- Some College Courses27.3%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)18.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate13.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree13.6%
- Bachelor's Degree13.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Some College Courses | 27.3% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 18.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 13.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 13.6% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 13.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Sports Photographer do?
Sports photographers capture the decisive moments of competition: the catch, the finish, the celebration. They shoot from sidelines, baselines, and photo positions with long telephoto lenses and fast cameras, anticipating plays before they happen. They also photograph portraits, team events, and behind-the-scenes moments.
Speed matters as much as the shot. Photographers edit, caption, and send images during the game so teams, wire services, and news sites can publish them right away. Team photographers produce content for social media, sponsors, and archives, while freelancers and wire photographers cover events for agencies and publications.
Day-to-day tasks
- Photograph live game action from sidelines and photo positions
- Anticipate plays and position for the best angles
- Edit, caption, and transmit images during events
- Shoot athlete portraits and team events
- Produce images for social media, sponsors, and archives
- Maintain cameras, lenses, and remote camera systems
- Secure media credentials and assignments
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Photographers work at stadiums, arenas, and outdoor venues in all weather, carrying heavy gear. Hours follow the sports calendar, with nights, weekends, and travel. Much of the work is freelance or contract, and tight deadlines are constant during games.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Writing2.9
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Persuasion2.9
- Instructing2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 2.9 |
| Instructing | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video creation and editing software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Sports Photographer?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ARE) built on O*NET's Photographer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Sports Photographer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 6 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Realistic5.5
- Artistic5.5
- Conventional3.4
- Enterprising3.0
- Investigative2.2
- Social1.9
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Sports Photographer
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Production
Photographic Process Worker and Processing Machine Operator
$40,610median a year
Most earn $30K to $69K
−5.6%High school - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Fine Artist, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
$55,490median a year
Most earn $32K to $144K
−2.9%Bachelor's - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with photographers highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Photographer$44,660
- Sports Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
| Sports Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Sports Photographer appears on
Questions
Sports Photographer: frequently asked questions
How much do Photographers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for photographers. It counts them within photographer, whose median pay is $44,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $36,050 and $62,740, and the top 10% earn $91,810 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Sports Photographer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Photographers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 27.3% hold some college courses.
Is Sports Photographer a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 1,000 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 10,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Sports Photographer do?
Sports photographers capture the decisive moments of competition: the catch, the finish, the celebration. A typical task: photograph live game action from sidelines and photo positions. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Desktop publishing software.
Which states pay Photographers the most?
The highest state medians for Photographers are District of Columbia ($110,970), New York ($60,050), Massachusetts ($57,990) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Sports Photographer?
O*NET scores Photographers highest on the Realistic, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are INTP, ISTP, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.