Photo Retoucher for Sneakers Career Profile, Salary & Job Outlook
What does a Photo Retoucher do?
Footwear Photo Retouchers work in post-production alongside the Photography team and edit product photography, studio model shots, and lifestyle photography pertaining to footwear. Their retouched images are used across web sales and marketing collateral. While photo retouchers have experience with product and lifestyle photography, they should have strong expertise in masking/stripping out backgrounds, dust cleanup, color correction, drop shadows, and exporting projects to specific guidelines.
How much does a Photo Retoucher make?
According to Salary, Footwear Photo Retouchers make a national average of $47,133 or $22.66 an hour. In general, entry-level footwear photo retouchers make around $37,935 annually, with senior-level photo retouchers making $60,295 a year.
What impact does this career have towards the sneaker industry?
Footwear Photo Retouchers finalize the first images of a sneaker. You can find these images shared across media publications, social, and retail. Moreover, their role helps ensure that the sneaker looks in the best way possible, contributing to a successful sneaker release. Make your mark in sneaker culture and start a career that helps define the way people think about their kicks.
What is the job outlook for a Photo Retoucher?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth in the photography industry (including Footwear Photo Retouchers) is projected to grow 17 percent during the 2020-2030 decade.
How to kick-off your career:
- Learn Photoshop by taking a class or researching YouTube videos.
- Intern for a sneaker media publication or company.
- Study blogs or sneaker company sneaker product or editorial shots.
- Download our Ultimate Sneaker Career Guide to understand the pathway into this career.
- Explore our Sneaker Essentials online course to understand Brand Strategy & Marketing.
Learn from:
Jon Tang
Sneaker Essentials contributor, Fronteer
Experiences: Founder & Creative Director, Fronteer
Senior Designer, Collaborations & Special Projects, K-Swiss
