Money · 1 of 5

What photographers make

Typical

$50,000

Starting out

$36,000

Busy commercial shooter

$101,000

Job Bank's national median is $24.04 an hour, about $50,000 a year at full-time hours. That figure hides a lot: an employed studio photographer gets a steady cheque, while a self-employed one bills far more per day and then pays for gear, insurance, software and the weeks with no work.