Bell Curve

Bell Curve

1
5%

Woe Is You. Salary: $15,000 or less 

You tried and failed to make it as an artistic photographer. The only pictures you're taking now are mental pictures of the four walls in your Craigslist bedroom rental.

2
25%

Studio Stooge. Salary: $23,600 

You're a photographer at Walmart's photography studio. You earn a regular paycheck, but between the crying babies and tantrum-throwing toddlers, you're starting to think the pay isn't worth your time.

3
50%

Aspiring Photojournalist. Salary: $31,200 

You're a photographer for your city's newspaper. You make a fair living, you do interesting and rewarding work, and once in a while, your stuff makes the front page. You won the Best Zoom award in 2020—and the competition was fierce that year.

4
75%

Fulfilling Your Dreams? Salary: $40,850 

You're a talented and well-respected photographer who does work for a number of national magazines. You once got to shoot Blake Lively in a teddy outfit, which was somehow even more strange than it sounds.

5
95%

Consummate Artist. Salary: $74,200 

After years of commercial work, you've found your artistic touch and have achieved something like B-list movie star status. Your gallery shows are well-attended and your photos go for a pretty penny. You laugh in your high school art teacher's face. No, literally—he showed up to the last opening. Not exactly polite, but you autographed a picture for him after.