How Much to Charge for Photo Editing in 2025 | Up-to-date info

Want to start photo editing? Not understanding how much to charge for photo editing. Actually, we understand that setting up your photo editing price can feel confusing at first. It can be hard to decide whether you should charge per image or per project.

Don’t stress out. Most beginner and even experienced editors struggle with pricing. That’s mainly because there is no standard rate for everyone. How you should charge that totally depends on your skills, your time you spent on the image. What kind of tool you are using or what editing methods you have followed also affect the price.

So, how much should you actually charge for photo editing? Here is what you can expect.

Experience Level	Average Per Image	Average Hourly Rate
Beginner	$0.25 – $1.00	$10 – $25/hr
Intermediate	$1.50 – $5.00	$25 – $50/hr
Professional	$5.00 – $15.00+	$50 – $150+/hr

Of course, that is not enough to cover all your queries, right? In this article, let’s have a comprehensive discussion in this regard.

What to Consider When Deciding How Much to Charge for Photo Editing?

First of all, it is important for you to understand how pricing works in photo editing. Here, always keep in mind that there is no single or fixed price rate. It totally depends on your skill and the complexity of the images. 

Let us discuss what you need to consider before setting up the prices of your image editing service. 

There’s no single “right” rate. Instead, your price depends on a few key factors — your time

① Factors that can affect price

There are a number of things that can affect the prices for image editing. For instance, 

Complexity of the image. You can expect to rate less for simple image editing as it requires less time. But if there is a more complex edit, you can charge more. That is because it will take you more time and effort. 

Coming next is the number of images. If you check, you will see the service provider offers discounts on bulk projects. You can also follow that. 

Next is the turnaround time. If your client requires faster delivery, it will charge more. That’s the same for the revisions. It will add extra cost if the image needs extra revisions.

Last but not least, it is your experience level. You can charge more or less based on your skill level. The skilled photo editing professionals typically charge more due to their years of experience in this field.

② Pricing Models

Photo editors usually charge in a few different ways. Here is a quick overview of it. 

Pricing Model	Best For	Description
Per Image	Product or bulk editing	A flat rate per photo. It works best for simple and repetitive edits
Hourly	Complex or creative work	You charge for time spent. It is ideal for retouching or composite projects.
Per Project	Custom jobs	One total price for a full job
Retainer / Package	Long-term clients	Clients pay a fixed monthly fee for ongoing work

③ Way to Calculate Your Base Rate

Here is how generally the editors calculate their base rate for image editing. 

Per Image Price = (Your Hourly Rate × Time Per Image) + Overhead + Profit Margin

Here, your hourly rate will depend on your skill and comfort. Overhead costs mean the things you will require for image editing. For instance, the software costs or the equipment costs. As for the profit margin, it is what you add to make the work profitable for you.

Industry Ranges You Can Use

Now, let’s take a look at how much most photo editors actually charge. It will help you to understand where your service will be suitable. Thus, you can effectively plan your own rate. 

Average Pricing by Experience Level

Here is what you can charge for image editing based on your experience level.

Experience Level	Simple Edits (Per Image)	Advanced Edits (Per Image)	Hourly Rate	Typical Clients
Beginner	$0.25 – $1.00	$2 – $6	$10 – $25 per hour	Small businesses and low-budget clients
Intermediate	$1.50 – $3.00	$5 – $10	$25 – $50 per hour	eCommerce brands and photographers
Expert / Professional	$3 – $10+	$10 – $25+	$50 – $150+per hour	Agencies and advertising clients

Pricing by Editing Type or Niche

You must agree that different kind of editing requires different levels of skills and time. You can price your service accordingly based on it, like below.

Editing Type	Average Price Per Image	Hourly Range
Basic Adjustments like crop and color balance	$0.25 – $1.00	$10 – $25 per hour
Background Removal or Clipping Path	$0.50 – $3.00	$15 – $30 per hour
Advanced Product Retouching	$2.00 – $8.00	$25 – $50 per hour
Beauty and Portrait Retouching	$5.00 – $15.00+	$40 – $100 per hour
Real Estate and Architecture	$1.50 – $6.00	$20 – $50 per hour
Event and Wedding Editing	$0.50 – $2.50	$15 – $40 per hour
Composite or Creative Edits	$10 – $50+	$60 – $150+ per hour

Pricing by Location

Nowadays, some editors also just do image editing based on the location of their clients. Here is the estimated price range of image editing based on location. 

Region	Average Per Image	Average Hourly Rate
South Asia / Southeast Asia	$0.25 – $3.00	$10 – $25 per hour
Eastern Europe	$1.00 – $5.00	$20 – $40 per hour
Western Europe / UK	$3.00 – $10.00	$40 – $80 per hour
United States / Canada	$5.00 – $15.00+	$50 – $150+ per hour
Australia / New Zealand	$4.00 – $12.00	$40 – $100 per hour

How to Choose the Right Pricing Model

You know, there are also different pricing models that professionals follow to price their services. You should understand these things also. That’s because if you pick the wrong pricing model, you will make you lose. Sometimes it can also confuse your clients. 

Here is how you can decide which pricing model will be best for your image editing business.

① Per Image Pricing

Per-image pricing means you charge a fixed rate for each photo you edit.

Best For	Why
Bulk product editing	Clients can easily see costs per image. Quick and repeatable
Simple edits	Fast edits make per-image pricing efficient.
Ecommerce projects	It allows easy scaling for 50 to 500+ product photos.

② Hourly Pricing

Hourly pricing means you charge for the time you spend on image editing. It is not based on the number of photos.

Best For	Why
Complex edits	Time varies per photo. Here, charging per image can underpay you.
Projects with unknown scope	You get paid for all hours worked
New clients are unsure of the total work	Protects against underestimating effort.

③ Retainer / Project-Based Pricing

Retainer or project-based pricing means you set a fixed price for a set of work. It is often monthly or per campaign.

Best For	Why
Long-term clients	Guarantees a monthly income for ongoing work
Campaigns or event projects	Covers all edits at a fixed price.
Clients needing a fast turnaround regularly	Predictable workflow and payment

How To Calculate Image Editing Prices

How can you calculate how much you should charge? That’s the most confusing one, right? Let’s help you out step by step.

① Know the Inputs

First, ask yourself these simple questions.

• What do you want to earn per hour of work?
• How much time will it take to edit one photo on average minutes 
• What will be your overhead costs
• What profit margin are you expecting?
• How much extra time can you offer for revisions?

② Formula

Here’s a simple formula you can use. 

Per Image Price = (Target Hourly Rate × Time Per Image in Hours) + Overhead + Profit Margin

Now, calculate how much you should charge using the formula. 

Here is a simple example for you. 

Let’s say, your 

• Target Hourly Rate = $30
• Time per Image = 10 minutes 
• Overhead = $1 per image
• Profit Margin = 10%

So, your charge for image editing will be like this

Step	Calculation	Result
Base price	$30 × 0.166	$4.98
Add overhead	$4.98 + $1	$5.98
Add profit	$5.98 × 10%	$0.60
Final Price per Image	$5.98 + $0.60	$6.58 ≈ $6.50–$7.00

Pricing by Complexity & Task

As you know, you will not require the same amount of time or editing to edit all types of photos. Your image editing pricing should depend on the complexity of the task. Here is an overview of the most common types of editing, and see how you can price each.

① Basic Edits

Basic edits are simple adjustments. For instance, cropping and color balance. These edits are fast and easy. That is why they usually cost less.

Task	Per Image	Hourly Rate	Complexity level
Crop / Resize	$0.25 – $0.50	$10 – $20 per hour	Simple
Crop / Resize	$0.50 – $1	$15 – $25 per hour	Medium
Exposure / Color Correction	$0.50 – $1.50	$15 – $25 per hour	Simple
Exposure Correction	$1 – $2	$20 – $30 per hour	Advanced
Color Balance	$0.50 – $1.50	$15 – $25 per hour	Simple
Color Balance	$1.50 – $3	$20 – $35 per hour	Medium
Minor Retouch	$1 – $2	$20 – $30 per hour	Simple
Minor Retouch	$2 – $4	$25 – $40 per hour	Advanced

② Background Removal / Clipping Path

Background removal is common for eCommerce and product photos. Here, the complexity of the image depends on the number of paths and objects.

Task	Per Image	Hourly Rate	Complexity level
Simple Background Removal	$0.50 – $1.50	$15 – $25 per hour	Basic
Multiple Clipping Paths	$2 – $5	$25 – $40 per hour	Medium
Multiple Clipping Paths	$3.50 – $5	$30 – $40 per hour	Advanced
Fine Detail / Hair / Jewelry	$4 – $6	$35 – $50 per hour	High
Transparent / Glass / Crystal Objects	$5 – $8	$40 – $60 per hour	Very High

③ Advanced Product Retouching

As for the advanced product retouching, it includes removing dust or adding reflections for multiple images. Here is how the editors generally charge for this service.

Task	Per Image	Hourly Rate	Complexity level
Dust / Scratch Removal	$2 – $5	$25 – $50 per hour	Simple
Dust / Scratch Removal	$3 – $5	$30 – $50 per hour	Advanced
Shadows & Reflections	$3 – $7	$30 – $50 per hour	Medium
Shadows & Reflections	$5 – $7	$40 – $60 per hour	Advanced

④ Beauty & Portrait Retouching

You know beauty retouching is high-skill work. It includes skin smoothing and creative touch-ups.

Task	Per Image	Hourly Rate	Complexity level
Skin Retouch	$5 – $10	$40 – $80 per hour	Simple
Skin Retouch	$8 – $12	$50 – $70 per hour	Medium
High-End Retouch	$12 – $25	$60 – $100 per hour	Advanced
Full Portrait Makeover	$25 – $50	$80 – $120 per hour	High

⑤ Real Estate and Architecture

In real estate photo editing, you will be required to edit perspective correction or sky replacement. You can charge for this image editing like the following.

Task	Per Image	Hourly Rate	Complexity level
Perspective / Lighting	$2 – $4	$25 – $40 per hour	Simple
Perspective / Lighting	$4 – $6	$30 – $50 per hour	Advanced
Sky Replacement	$5 – $8	$40 – $60 per hour	Medium
Sky Replacement	$8 – $10	$50 – $80 per hour	Advanced

⑥ Event and Wedding Editing

Generally, editors charge for the event and wedding photo editing in batches. Here, pricing typically depends on volume and complexity.

Task	Per Image	Hourly Rate	Complexity level
Basic Color / Exposure	$0.50 – $2	$15 – $40 per hour	Simple
Basic Color / Exposure	$2 – $3	$25 – $45 per hour	Medium
High-End Retouch	$3 – $6	$40 – $60 per hour	Advanced
Full Wedding Package	$6 – $8	$50 – $80 per hour	Very High

⑦ Composite or Creative Edits

As for composites, they are highly creative edits. That is why they take a lot of skill. You can charge project-based or high hourly rates for composite or creative edits.

Task	Per Image	Hourly Rate	Complexity level
Simple Composite	$10 – $15	$50 – $80 per hour	Medium
Simple Composite	$15 – $25	$60 – $100 per hour	Advanced
Advanced Composite	$25 – $40	$80 – $120 per hour	High
Complex Advertising Composite	$40 – $50+	$100 – $150+ per hour	Very High

Volume Pricing And Discounts

When clients need a large number of photos edited, you can offer volume pricing or packages. It helps to attract customers and get bigger projects on hand. 

How to Structure Volume Pricing?

Volume pricing means you reduce the per-image rate. That is because the number of images increases. 

Here is how you charge for volume editing. 

Number of Images	Suggested Price Per Image
1 to 10	Base Rate
11 to 50	Base Rate – 10%
51 to 100	Base Rate – 20%
100+	Base Rate – 25–30%

Package

Packages make it easy for clients to understand the costs of your service. Here are some examples.

Package Name	Number of Images	Price	Includes
Starter Pack	10 images	$50	Basic color correction and cropping
Business Pack	50 images	$200	Background removal Basic retouching 1 revision per image
Pro Pack	100 images	$450	Advanced retouching Multiple revisions Priority delivery
Event Pack	200 images	$600	Color correction Batch editing 2 revisions per image

Rush Fees, Revisions, and Add-On Pricing

Sometimes clients need their photos edited quickly or ask for extra services. That’s why you have to think about rush fees and your charges for revision. You can also charge for add-ons to ensure you get fairly paid for your time and skills.

Rush Fees

Rush fees vary by turnaround time and the complexity of the task. Here is how generally the editors charge for it.

Turnaround	Complexity	Multiplier	Example (Base $5/image)
Standard (3–5 days)	Basic	1×	$5
Standard (3–5 days)	Advanced	1×	$10
48 hours	Basic	1.25×	$6.25
48 hours	Advanced	1.25×	$12.50
24 hours	Basic	1.5×	$7.50
24 hours	Advanced	1.5×	$15
Same-day	Basic	1.75×	$8.75
Same-day	Advanced	2×	$20

Revisions

Revisions can vary based on client requests. The following table will help you to understand.

Included Revisions	Extra Revision Fee	Scope Example
1 per image	$1 to $3	Minor color or exposure tweak
2 per image	$2 to $5	Cropping and slight retouch adjustments
3 per image	$5 to $10	Significant retouching changes
Major scope change	Hourly rate ($20–$60/hr)	Adding objects and heavy retouching

Add-On Pricing

Add-ons are the services you offer to your clients beyond your standard edit. Here’s how you can charge for it.

Add-On Service	Suggested Price
Commercial license	$10 – $50 per image or flat fee
Extra file formats (PSD, TIFF)	$1 – $5 per image
Batch color matching	$2 – $5 per image
Priority support	$5 – $10 per image
Advanced retouching	$5 – $50+ per image
Complex clipping paths	$2 – $10 per image
Rush revision (less than 12 hours)	1.5× – 2× extra

Conclusion

All in all, as you see, setting your photo editing rates is about thinking about your value and your skill. Here, you just need to track your time and choose the right pricing model. Don’t stress out at first. Instead, you should start with confidence and adjust your pricing for your service as your business grows. 

Always keep in mind that your rate for your image editing service should show the quality of your work and the effort you are going to put into every image. That’s today’s cheat sheet!