Photographers Fare Poorly in Jobs Report

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27 February 2010

Between waiter/waitress and ad salesperson at No. 126 — that's where a career as photographer will land you in the rankings of 200 best and worst jobs of 2009, a list compiled by CareerCast.com. Even lower down the totem pole, photojournalist came in at No. 189, between firefighter and butcher. Looking for a slightly better photo job? Photo processor came in at No. 90.

The criteria for this ranking included physical demand, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook. Since the 2008 report, photographers maintained the same ranking, but photojournalist dropped 22 positions from No. 167.

CNNMoney.com also recently posted a list of the 15 most stressful jobs that pay badly. The list included commercial photographer, a position that earns around $43,600. Of those listed in the category, 100 percent describe the job as stressful.

If you're looking for a photography profession that will earn you a few more K's, PDNonline's salary survey says that advertising photographers earn a median salary of $100,000 and corporate photographers earn nearly the same, with $97,500.