Photography business · Team
Second shooter pay calculator.
Enter the booking and pay the second shooter by percent or by the hour. See what you keep and your real hourly rate.
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Enter your numbers.
How this is calculated
Pay by percent = booking x percent. Pay hourly = rate x hours. You keep the booking minus their pay and any other costs, and your effective hourly rate is that amount divided by your own total hours.
Worked example. A $4,000 wedding with the second shooter on 15% for 8 hours: pay is $600.00, which is an effective $75.00 an hour. You keep $3,400.00. Across 60 of your own hours (shooting, travel and editing) that is $56.67 an hour. Paid hourly instead at $30 for 8 hours, the second shooter would get $240.00.
Frequently asked questions
How much do second shooters get paid?
Rates vary by market and experience, and no published standard exists. Agree on a flat day rate, an hourly rate or a percent in writing before the wedding, then use this tool to see what each leaves you.
Percent or hourly: which is better?
Hourly pay is predictable and keeps pay tied to time worked. A percent scales with the booking but pays the same whether the day is 6 or 10 hours. Compare the effective hourly figure for each.
Who owns the second shooter’s photos?
That depends on your contract, so put it in writing. This tool only calculates pay.
Should I include editing in the hourly rate?
Only if the second shooter edits. If they hand over raw files, the editing hours stay with you, which the "your total hours" field captures.
Sources
Checked
No published standard sets second shooter pay, so this page cites none. Every figure is arithmetic on the numbers you enter.
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Estimate
Estimate based on the numbers you enter. It is not financial, tax or legal advice.