What should I charge for photography?

Every hour a photographer shoots comes with two to four hours of culling, editing, gallery delivery, and client email — plus thousands of dollars of camera bodies, lenses, and software that quietly depreciate. Price a session from those total hours and costs, plus a markup for overhead and profit, so the invisible work is paid for.

Price a session the way contractors actually do it: add up what the session costs you, then add a markup for your overhead and profit. Fill in your numbers — your bid updates as you type.

What this session costs you

Materials & supplies ($) — your cost for everything you'll buy for this session

Other direct costs ($) — fuel, equipment rental, disposal fees, permits

Your labor

Not sure what to charge for your time? Employed photographers earn a median of about $21.47/hr (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A self-employed labor rate is typically higher — roughly $30–$45/hr (about 1.5–2×) — because it also has to cover self-employment tax, the benefits an employer would otherwise pay, and the hours that cannot be billed.

Hours this session will take

Your hourly labor rate ($) — what your time is worth per hour; e.g. $30–$45

Hired help ($) — paid to a helper or subcontractor; leave blank if solo

Your markup — overhead & profit

This is where your business actually makes money. Industry standard is roughly 20–30% overall for contractors; solo operators often need the higher end to cover insurance, tools, truck, admin time, and slow weeks. Adjust to fit your business.

Markup on your costs (%)

Materials & supplies	$0
Your labor (0 hrs × $0)	$0
Hired help	$0
Other direct costs	$0
Your costs (subtotal)	$0
Markup (30% — overhead & profit)	$0
Bid price	$0

Pricing method and standard percentages from contractor-industry sources (Angi, Buildern, NAHB): overall contractor markup 20–30%, materials markup 7.5–35%, labor markup 25–50%, recommended profit margin 15–25%. A markup is a percentage of your costs; the resulting margin (share of the bid that's profit) is lower — both are shown above. These are general benchmarks, not a guarantee for your market.

What your markup has to cover

The markup in your bid covers the costs no single job shows. For photography, your overhead typically includes camera body and lens replacement/repair, Lightroom/Photoshop subscriptions, gallery hosting, website, insurance, second-shooter fees, and travel. None of that appears on one job, but all of it is paid out of the markup added to every job. Published contractor guidance (Angi, NAHB) puts a typical overall markup at 20–30%.

Be realistic about your hours

A 1-hour portrait session typically means 4–5 total working hours after editing and delivery. If you only count the hour behind the camera, you are working for a quarter of your intended rate. Enter total client-attributable hours here, not shutter time.

Photographer pricing FAQs

How do I turn my hourly rate into a session price?

Multiply your hourly labor rate by the total hours a session consumes — consult, shoot, edit, deliver. A 1-hour session with 3 hours of post at a $60/hr rate prices at about $240, before any print or album revenue.

Should equipment be in my expenses if I already own it?

Yes. Equipment wears out and bodies get replaced every 3–5 years. Divide replacement cost by useful life and include it as an annual expense — roughly $2,000–$5,000/year for a working pro — or its replacement will come out of your savings.

Why do wedding photographers charge so much?

A single wedding is often 30–50 working hours: consults, the 8–10 hour day, and 20+ hours of editing — plus backup equipment and a second shooter, with zero margin for failure. At even a modest $50/hr all-in rate, that is a $2,000–$2,500 floor before profit.