Film and Photography degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in film and photography earn a median $45,662 four years after finishing, across 134 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in film video and photographic arts earn $50,762, $11,287 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is television, video, and film camera operators and editors (7%).
Median across 134 colleges; middle half $41,024–$50,499.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $30,458–$79,431. 3,477 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Film Video And Photographic Arts"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$15,124/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs film and photography graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in film video and photographic arts actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Television, Video, And Film Camera Operators And Editors | 7% | $75,100 | +2.6% | — | — |
| Producers And Directors | 6% | $90,360 | +4.0% | Bachelor's degree | AE |
| Photographers | 5% | $44,660 | -0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | RA |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Editors | 2% | $77,920 | -1.1% | Bachelor's degree | ACE |
| Artists And Related Workers | 2% | $99,760 | +2.2% | — | — |
| Retail Salespersons | 2% | $35,410 | -0.3% | No formal educational credential | EC |
| First-Line Supervisors Of Retail Sales Workers | 2% | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent | ECS |
These 8 jobs account for 30% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Film and Photography earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $49,280 (4) | — |
| California | $49,933 (19) | $60,764 (1,049) |
| Colorado | — | $48,881 (100) |
| Florida | $41,672 (6) | $38,780 (119) |
| Georgia | $42,054 (4) | $45,686 (136) |
| Illinois | $41,200 (3) | $45,686 (135) |
| Indiana | $50,403 (3) | — |
| Maryland | $43,227 (3) | — |
| Massachusetts | $50,574 (6) | — |
| Michigan | $43,186 (7) | — |
| Minnesota | $36,495 (3) | — |
| Missouri | $35,407 (3) | — |
| New Jersey | $50,790 (5) | $62,968 (106) |
| New York | $46,838 (18) | $59,662 (450) |
| Ohio | $41,684 (6) | — |
| Oregon | $50,003 (3) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $42,753 (6) | $47,730 (105) |
| Texas | — | $53,523 (154) |
| Virginia | $43,025 (3) | — |
| Washington | $45,152 (3) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where film and photography graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 16 in Florida, 8 in Virginia, 36 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $70,963 | $15,693 |
| 2 | Chapman UniversityCA | $66,494 | $19,123 |
| 3 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA | $61,500 | $23,250 |
| 4 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $58,623 | $21,687 |
| 5 | University of California-DavisCA | $57,999 | $18,000 |
| 6 | University of California-RiversideCA | $52,699 | $20,500 |
| 7 | University of MiamiFL | $52,032 | $18,500 |
| 8 | University of California-IrvineCA | $51,423 | $16,300 |
| 9 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $50,904 | $19,000 |
| 10 | Woodbury UniversityCA | $50,387 | $27,000 |
| 11 | George Mason UniversityVA | $50,086 | $25,000 |
| 12 | Art Center College of DesignCA | $49,933 | $31,000 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Film and Photography degree questions
How much do Film and Photography graduates make?
Film and Photography graduates earn a median $45,662 four years after finishing, across 134 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $41,024 to $50,499; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in film video and photographic arts, the median is $50,762 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Film and Photography degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in film video and photographic arts earn a median $50,762: $11,287 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $15,124 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Film and Photography graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in film video and photographic arts, the most common jobs are television, video, and film camera operators and editors (7%), producers and directors (6%), photographers (5%). Television, Video, And Film Camera Operators And Editors earn a U.S. median $75,100.
How much do Film and Photography graduates earn in Florida?
Across 6 Florida colleges reporting, Film and Photography graduates earn a median $41,672 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $38,780.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Film and Photography degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/film-and-photography.