2024 Digi-Tech Survey Results
As I did last year, I put together a survey a few weeks ago I put together
a survey to gather data regarding rates and other metrics for Digital-Techs.
I've collated and analyzed the data to share with everyone. Before you dig
into the information you should be aware of the following:
Interpreting the data:
I highly recommend reading the data interpretations for each section. This
will provide context for the data and likely answer most readers'
questions.
Sample size:
The questionnaire was shared on Instagram, Discord and Reddit by myself. I
assume others distributed it in other ways. Not everyone or every market
will be accurately or fully represented. Some are more active in online
communities than others. However, I assumed there would be a greater number
of responses this year but there was less. There was a total of 222 responses with 69 being from 21 countries outside the USA.
I can't confidently point to any singular
reason for this and you shouldn't let this imply anything about the
industry. For instance there were 0 responses from Vancouver, BC and I know
there's a decent number of digi-techs actively working there.
The complete data is available below for anyone to make comparisons based solely on their
location or any other analysis they wish. Download>
HERE
You can also view it online HERE.
Economics:
Rates will always vary depending on location. However this deviation shouldn’t be that significant. The types of clients and work also affects the rates. It’s complicated.
Misinterpretations and flaws:
It should be noted that I'm no expert in gathering this type of information
and my wording could have been flawed at times. I attempted to limit
variables and other “what ifs” so as to not overload participants and
myself. Overall, I feel the goal was achieved with the responses.
Participants were instructed to convert their currency to US Dollars. This
could have introduced some errors by anyone failing to do so properly.
Demographics:
Location:
This segment was new for this year to help gauge the amount that others were working. You can use the complete data linked above and below to help compare to others in your region.
Additionally, a questions were asked to gauge the optimism of the future and how participants felt about of work available in their region and compare that to the previous 12 months.
There was one entry excluded from this the number of days works as it was
such a outlier it wasn't believable; it implied working more than is
reasonably possible.
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Day Rates:
For the sake of this survey a day rate is the pre-tax amount one will
receive for 10hr of labor on set. This doesn’t include any equipment.
Obviously,
with day rates there can be a range based on both location and the types
of jobs one takes. Context of the situation varies significantly. For
instance, Editorial will almost always be a lower budget than Advertising
jobs. Higher rates typically go hand in hand with bigger budget jobs that
require more stress and responsibilities. Someone might work both
Editorial and Advertising and have a lower rate for the former. It would
have been too difficult for me to try to break up rates and directly tie
them to a segment.
Therefore two questions were asked about day rates:
- What is your typical day rate for 10hr day?
- What is the lowest day rate you will accept for 10hr day?
The purpose behind these two should be obvious. There’s a rate one
prefers, the typical (which could be higher at times), and a minimum that
they will accept. There is no definitive answer for what your rate should
be. But there is a minimum that should be a respectable amount in order to
live in your location.
There was one data set excluded from this section as it such a outlier it
wasn't believable.
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Kit Rates:
For this category two questions were asked:
- "What is the average rate for a capture package/kit you offer?
- "What is the lowest rate for a capture package/kit you offer?"
This is a rate for the equipment provided by the tech and excludes the day
rate for labor. Once again consider the region to put some of these rates in
context.
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What's your rate for a similar kit?
In a effort to clarity these questions examples of two kits where shown and participants were asked to provide a rate they would charge for a similar kit in the image. There were two examples here; one, a small laptop with tripod kit. The other was a large kit with a cart and multiple monitors. These were general examples and didn't include camera or lens rentals into the packages. Once again consider the region to put some of these rates in context.
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Employment:
To offer better clarity this year two
questions regarding source of income were included. Additionally, a question
regarding the type of employment was asked.
Rate Increases:
The rate of inflation is always changing. See here. As of writing this, the current rate of inflation for the US is 2.6%
over the past 12 months. (You will note in the link above the only period
of significant deflation in the past 20 years was in 2009 after the 2008
banking crisis.)
Basically, If you aren’t increasing your rates annually, it means you are
making less money than the year before. At the VERY least one should
increase their rates by 2% annually but it’s best to keep up with the
annual inflation rate. If you are still working at the same rates you were
5-10 years ago you are doing yourself and others a disservice. I can’t
think of much that hasn’t increased in price in the past 5, 10 or 20
years. Your income and rates should correlate with this.
Being Incorporated:
This is more of a US oriented question as the tax structures and
aspects of owning/running a business vary greatly in other countries,
which I'm clueless about. This information felt relevant to see how many
are incorporated and what type. Depending on the type of jobs you work and
the income you generate you might benefit from being incorporated. You can
learn more about this topic here. For those outside of the US you should look into the equivalent in your
country and the pros/cons and costs associated with it for your
situation.
Travel days:
Some people travel to work in other locations and it can vary on whether
they accept ½ day rate for travel days. This is sometimes done to help
meet the original budget outlined of the bidding process to ensure a
photographer can work with someone they know well and not a stranger.
Taking a ½ day rate for travel can be a bit controversial for some. It’s
worth fighting for full rate travel days. It is a day in which you are
typically fully occupied with travel logistics and transporting equipment.
It’s not a vacation.
In Summary:
Hopefully this was a worthwhile endeavor that others find insightful. The
complete data is available to download HERE so you can filter it by your location or market and make relevant
comparisons.
You can also view it and the charts online HERE.
Just as I stated last year, I do believe this will be an eye opener for
some and frustrate others. Just keep in mind that comparison is the thief
of joy. But, I feel it’s important to have the knowledge. I certainly
don’t intend everyone to look at the max value for rates and just start
using that as their rate. There are many factors that contribute to that
number as discussed prior as well as potential flaws in that data. You
should use the info to evaluate yourself and where you stand in those
regards. You might be happy working with smaller clients with smaller
budgets that are less stressful and require smaller kits. There’s nothing
wrong with that. You shouldn’t expect to have a top-tier rate or the
highest kit rates. Often those higher rates come with more stress,
responsibilities, overhead and equipment. (But, there can be outliers.)
Final Thoughts:
Finally, by doing this experiment I learned a lot. Thank you to those
that participated.
These days clients want more for less and it can
feel like a race to the bottom. In late 2022 budgets were slashed due to
economic fears and yet it seems clients still expect the same amount if
not more work for less compensation. I certainly hasn't seemed to rebound
in 2024 as much as many had hoped.
Artificial Intelligence and generative design is definitely a looming
danger for many in the photography community and it's not making things
easier when it comes to sustaining a livelihood. Versatility and
flexibility will be key moving forward.
This data should also be something that Producers, Agents/Reps, Art
Producers are aware of because that’s often where the budgets begin and
they factor in the rates they are expecting to pay for production.
While I can completely understand and relate to being in a tough spot financially and needing to take work that comes your way. Accepting a very low rate means that those offering the work think that’s acceptable and often start to ask for more without compensating more. If they can’t find anyone to work for a low rate they will learn they need to offer more to find someone. There isn’t now nor do I feel there will ever be a collective/union to ensure proper compensation in this field but using data like this can be a strong tool.
Remember, 10 hours on set often turns into 12-14+ hr days with preparation, commuting and loading/unloading equipment. We aren’t always fortunate enough to get prep or post days. Know your worth. Take a look at your overhead and position in your market and ensure you’re being compensated at a competitive rate. Hopefully those low-ball rates being presented to us will disappear when they realize no one will take the bait.
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