Study Reveals Gender Pay Gaps Among Freelance Photographers

A new global study has revealed gender pay gaps among freelance photographers and videographers working across different creative roles.

The findings come from a new report by Remitly for Freelancers, which analyzed hourly rates from more than 58,000 freelancers across major work categories on Upwork. According to Remitly for Freelancers, the principle of “equal pay for equal work” is enshrined in national legislation and international human rights law. But for freelancers trading their time and skills on the open market, the issue can be less clear-cut.

Gig work can be more precarious than traditional employment, and hiring practices are often opaque. In offering competitive rates, freelancers may undervalue their labor and miss out on their true worth. As Remitly’s new study suggests, this particularly affects female photographers, videographers, and video editors, who must navigate structural inequalities in the wider labor market alongside internalized biases when setting their freelance rates.

Researchers found that women real estate photographers charge an average of 21.9% less per hour than men, earning $21.98 per hour compared to $28.14 for their male peers. The study also identified a 9.8% gap among wedding photographers, with women charging $26.94 per hour on average compared to $29.85 for men.

Image credit: Remitly for Freelancers

The wider design and creative industry data also found that women freelancers charge less than men across seven of the eight roles analyzed, including YouTube video editors, Instagram Reels editors, and videographers. In fact, the largest gender pay gap in the design and creative industry is for YouTube video editors (23.4%).

The study also found that women freelancers charge 19% less than men globally, while design and creative industry freelancers have an overall gender pay gap of 9.3%.

Remitly’s study appears to corroborate previous research compiled by Ondeck in 2024, which found that male photographers earn around $25 more per hour on average than their female peers in the U.S. But interestingly, the 2024 report also found that women earn considerably more per hour as freelance videographers than men. According to Ondeck, female videographers charge around $121.67 per hour, compared to $74.25 for men, a difference of $47.42.

The full study by Remitly for Freelancers can be found here.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

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