Who Makes What...some actual numbers

[Timothy J. Jones]

Message text written by: Mark Goldstein
>I have to admit I was astounded recently to see a JIB post asking for a
>photog with 3-5 years of experience and multiple camera bodies and lense=
s,
>yet the job was advertised as paying only $18,000 a year.

Don't be...in the Midwest, it's about average for papers in the 20-50k
circulation range. The farther south and west you go, the lower the sala=
ry
(in the Midwest, not the rest of the country). Those $8 an hour
photojournalism jobs are pretty common. Smaller papers...we're talking
$6.50 - $7 dollars an hour, no camera allowance, 12 cents a mile
reimbursement.. Don't laugh, they are not only out there, but common. =

"Blue collar" doesn't even begin to describe the lower end of the pay sca=
le
for this business anymore.

Message text written by: Mark Lent
> I looked around at newspapers in
>the geographical area we live in and was astounded at the low pay. One
>paper offered me $14,000 per year, others were slightly higher- but
nothing
f>or over $20,000 a year.<snip>
>My point in all of this rambeling is that everyone has their price. If y=
ou
>work for a newspaper that is non-union- regardless of size, you are bein=
g
>underpaid. But, most of you on this list would argue that it's the "pric=
e"
>you pay for being a photojournalist. And to that I say "Good for you". Y=
ou

Some facts may help here...I gleaned the following numbers from a recent
government report on wages. Keep in mind these are national figures, so
your mileage may vary. But this will probably blow a few minds (this is
from 1995 U.S. Census data):

Median annual income figures for those in the work force age 25 and over:=

Those with bachelor's degrees, $39,040

Those with two-year associate's degrees, $31,027

Those with a high school diploma, $23,365

Those with less than 12 years of school, $15,791

Ouch. Keep in mind these are the MEDIAN figures, not AVERAGES!!! Large an=
d
tiny salaries don't skew these figures as much as a simple average would.=

While I don't have the exact figures, I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts
that the median annual income for newspaper photojournalists is well belo=
w
$23,365

Kinda shows you your place in the food chain, now doesn't it?

-Tim Jones, NPPA JIB

[Steven E. Frischling]

As for numbers, the real money is on the Technical Side of the photography
business. Last year a rather large photo company recruited me for a Tech
Side job, I was 20-21, had no college degree but could take apart cameras,
lenses and flashes and know what was what and take technical speak and
convert it to English.

This was just as A.P. put out the horrid contract, so I took this job at
$34,500, plus benefits. I lasted exactly 5.5 weeks, not because I was let
go, they loved me, but because it was 8:30 to 5:PM I had to wear a shirt &
tie and sit behind a desk answering peoples questions, both professionals and
consumers. This job was on average about $7,000 more that standard
freelance PJ pay in NYC. (then again I left a few days before TWA 800, was
the only photog on thebase or in the morgue that night and made a little less
that the yearly salary in one night.....)

So sometimes it is the passion that counts, not the work.

Just my $0.02

Steven E. Frischling
Freelance Photojournalist
New York City