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| © Thomas Holton |
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The plight of a photo assistant resembles that of a jazz musician; the hours are long, the pay is low, and the art comes first. You do what you do because you love it, and if you make the rent every month, you’re better off than most.
There are a lucky few earning mythical six figure salaries. But for the most part, the rates below represent standard pay in New York City and Los Angeles. In other cities (Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Kansas City, etc.), wages tend to hover around $200 a day, unless the contract comes out of New York or L.A. Even posh magazine publisher Condé Nast has been known to refuse top photographers more than a $200 budget for assistants. In general, assistants fall into three categories: First Assistant (five plus years of experience); Second Assistant (three to five years of experience); and Third Assistant (one to three years of experience). Note: One day’s work is up to ten hours; after that assistants usually get overtime.
New York City
Editorial $/day:
1st: $200-$400
2nd: $175-$200
3rd: $100-$150
Commercial $/day:
1st: $300-$500
2nd: $250-$350
3rd: $200-$250
Los Angeles:
Editorial $/day:
1st: $200-$400
2nd: $150-$250
3rd: $100-$150
Commercial $/day:
1st: $300-$500
2nd: $250-$300
3rd: $150-$200
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