Average Photographer Salary in Australia for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Photographer salary for 2024 in Australia and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Australian dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the AUD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Photographer Make in Australia?

A Photographer working in Australia will typically earn around 50,000 AUD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 23,300 AUD to the highest average salary of 80,900 AUD.

Average Annual Salary
50,000 AUD
Average Monthly Salary
4,166 AUD

Lowest Annual Salary
23,300 AUD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,941 AUD

Highest Annual Salary
80,900 AUD
Highest Monthly Salary
6,741 AUD

These are average salaries for a Photographer in Australia and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Photographer to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Photographer salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Photographer Salaries in Australia

So we've looked at the average salaries a Photographer will earn in Australia. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Photographer can earn between 23,300 AUD and 80,900 AUD on average in Australia. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Photographer in Australia is 53,500 AUD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 53,500 AUD, and 50% of the population earn more than 53,500 AUD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Photographer salary in Australia, 25% of the population are earning less than 34,400 AUD while 75% of the population earn more than 34,400 AUD.

75% of the population earn less than 69,200 AUD, and 25% of the population earn more than 69,200 AUD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Photographer Salary by Experience Level in Australia

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average photographer salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Photographer in Australia that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 25,800 AUD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Photographer salary would increase to 36,900 AUD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Photographer, the average salary would be 52,300 AUD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 67,600 AUD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Photographer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 68,200 AUD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Photographer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 75,400 AUD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
25,800 AUD
2-5 Years +38%
36,900 AUD
5-10 Years +42%
52,300 AUD
10-15 Years +22%
67,600 AUD
15-20 Years +6%
68,200 AUD
20+ Years +9%
75,400 AUD

Photographer Salary by Education Level in Australia

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Photographer in Australia based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Photographer in Australia with a high school education can earn an average salary of 35,400 AUD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Photographer in Australia with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 38,700 AUD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Photographer in Australia with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 58,700 AUD.

  • Master's Degree. A Photographer in Australia with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 75,400 AUD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
35,400 AUD
Certificate or Diploma +17%
38,700 AUD
Bachelor's Degree +45%
58,700 AUD
Master's Degree +31%
75,400 AUD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Australia is around 37,800 to 114,000 AUD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Photographer Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Australia, a male photographer will earn an average of 51,500 AUD, while a female photographer will earn around 50,500 AUD.

This means that a male photographer earns approximately 2% more than a female photographer for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Australia

Male
51,500 AUD
Female -2%
50,500 AUD

Photographer Average Pay Raise in Australia

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Photographer in Australia is around 10% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Australia is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 10 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Photographer in Australia can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Australia for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Australia.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Photographer Bonus and Incentive Rates in Australia

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Photographer is a low bonus based job, with 33% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

67% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
33%
No Bonus
67%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Australia earn approximately 5% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
92,500 AUD
Private Sector -5%
87,900 AUD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Photographer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Photographer in Australia.

Job Title Category Salary
Advertising Account Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 103,600 AUD
Advertising Account Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 112,700 AUD
Advertising Account Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 59,700 AUD
Advertising and Promotions Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 148,300 AUD
Advertising Coordinator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 78,500 AUD
Advertising Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 142,300 AUD
Advertising Operations Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 151,800 AUD
Advertising Sales Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 156,200 AUD
Advertising Strategic Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 96,600 AUD
Advertising Team Leader Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 84,800 AUD
Animator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 67,800 AUD
Art Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 92,100 AUD
Art Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 94,500 AUD
Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 78,700 AUD
Artworker Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 53,600 AUD
Assistant Art Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 72,700 AUD
Audio and Video Equipment Technician Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 51,100 AUD
Audio Engineer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 66,200 AUD
Audiosual Technician Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 56,400 AUD
Broadcast Administrator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 93,600 AUD
Catering Sales Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 59,200 AUD
Catering Trainer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 70,900 AUD
Commercial and Industrial Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 58,600 AUD
Conference Organiser Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 69,200 AUD
Content and Media Production Lead Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 109,700 AUD
CopyWriter Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 61,600 AUD
Creative Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 73,200 AUD
Creative Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 90,900 AUD
Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 51,500 AUD
Desktop Publisher Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 43,500 AUD
Digital Campaign Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 93,900 AUD
Digital Media Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 114,300 AUD
Digital Media Strategist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 114,600 AUD
Director of Events Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 157,600 AUD
Director of Graphic Design Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 86,800 AUD
Director of Social Media Marketing Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 118,900 AUD
Events and Promotions Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 152,700 AUD
Events Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 158,700 AUD
Exhibit Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 76,800 AUD
Exhibit Display Coordinator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 71,700 AUD
Exhibit Display Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 99,900 AUD
Finisher Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 49,300 AUD
Graphic Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 60,600 AUD
Graphic Design Specialist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 71,200 AUD
Graphic Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 55,200 AUD
Graphics Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 58,800 AUD
Graphics Design Supervisor Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 83,100 AUD
Group Creative Director Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 97,300 AUD
Imagery Analyst Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 55,700 AUD
Imaging Technologist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 54,100 AUD
Interaction Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 50,300 AUD
Media Analyst Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 72,300 AUD
Media Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 97,400 AUD
Media Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 74,100 AUD
Media Production Coordinator Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 70,700 AUD
Media Production Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 128,400 AUD
Media Project Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 130,400 AUD
Media Relations Representative Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 108,200 AUD
Media Sales Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 123,800 AUD
Meeting and Event Planner Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 70,600 AUD
Multimedia Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 61,200 AUD
Multimedia Specialist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 54,100 AUD
PPC Campaign Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 95,500 AUD
Print Production Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 103,600 AUD
Product and Brand Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 146,900 AUD
Sales Promotion Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 153,800 AUD
Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO) Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 63,700 AUD
Sketch Artist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 68,500 AUD
Social Media Executive Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 118,900 AUD
Social Media Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 119,700 AUD
Social Media Marketing Manager Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 117,100 AUD
Social Media Strategist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 124,500 AUD
Special Events Supervisor Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 92,100 AUD
Technical Typist Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 39,500 AUD
User Experience UX Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 66,900 AUD
UX Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events 54,100 AUD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Australia, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Adelaide 65,133 AUD
Brisbane 67,267 AUD
Canberra-Queanbeyan 60,633 AUD
Gold Coast-Tweed 64,467 AUD
Gosford 57,567 AUD
Melbourne 67,300 AUD
Newcastle 61,567 AUD
Perth 64,167 AUD
Sunshine Coast 61,467 AUD
Sydney 72,667 AUD
Wollongong 56,400 AUD

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