How Much Does a Headshot Cost in 2024? Ranked by State:

Data last updated: October 2024

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A professional headshot can glow up your online presence, help you land a better job on LinkedIn, and serve as a professional profile picture you can use at work.

But how much do headshot photos actually cost?

To accurately answer this question, we spent 21 hours and 54 minutes combing through 150 Google search result pages and opening 751 local photographer websites.

Here's how we collected data on headshot prices:

• We used Google to search for `headshots near california, “headshots near nyc”, “headshots near..”—you get the idea—for every single US state.

• We visited 50 local photographer websites from each search results page and recorded their rates for a professional headshot photography session.

This research on headshot prices was originally conducted in December 2023 but was completely updated and expanded in October 2024.

Ready to find out how much local photographers are charging for a professional headshot in the United States?

How much do professional headshots cost?

To accurately answer this question, we spent 21 hours and 54 minutes combing through 150 Google search result pages and opening 751 local photographer websites.

According to this data collected by HeadshotPro, the median cost of a professional headshot photoshoot in the United States is $250.

How many headshots can you expect to get back from your photoshoot?

The amount of headshots you get back from your local photographer of choice varies, but our data shows that 66% of headshot photography packages will return 3 professional headshots or less.

Here's how the quantity of headshots you get back breaks down:

• 34% of photoshoots return 1 headshot photo
• 19% of photoshoots return 2 headshot photos
• 13% of photoshoots return 3 headshot photos
• 9% of photoshoots return 4-5 headshot photos
• 9% of photoshoots return 6-10 headshot photos
• 7% of photoshoots return 11-20 headshot photos
• 6% of photoshoots return 21-50 headshot photos
• 4% of photoshoots return 50+ headshot photos

Cost of Professional Headshots by State

How does the cost of professional headshots in your state compare with the rest of the United States?

Here's the median cost of a headshot photoshoot in every state:

State	Median Cost of Headshots
Nevada	$150
Indiana	$175
Missouri	$175
Ohio	$200
West Virginia	$200
Florida	$225
Nebraska	$225
South Carolina	$225
Alabama	$250
Arizona	$250
Colorado	$250
Connecticut	$250
Delaware	$250
Idaho	$250
Iowa	$250
Kansas	$250
Kentucky	$250
Maine	$250
Minnesota	$250
New Jersey	$250
New Mexico	$250
Oregon	$250
Pennsylvania	$250
Vermont	$250
Virginia	$250
Hawaii	$265
Alaska	$300
Arkansas	$300
Georgia	$300
Louisiana	$300
Michigan	$300
New Hampshire	$300
North Dakota	$299
South Dakota	$300
Texas	$300
Wisconsin	$300
Illinois	$315
North Carolina	$325
Rhode Island	$325
Utah	$325
Oklahoma	$349
Maryland	$375
Tennessee	$395
Massachusetts	$400
New York	$399
Mississippi	$449
Washington	$449
California	$450
Wyoming	$550

Based on this data collected by HeadshotPro, we can make a few observations on the cheapest and the most expensive headshots in the United States.

The most affordable headshots in the world

The data collected and shared on this page is purely from local photographers offering offline headshot photoshoots.

This data reveals that HeadshotPro is 8x cheaper than an offline photoshoot and provides customers with up to 100x more professional headshot photos than the average local photographer.

We love local photographers–they offer a level of expertise and experience that can't be replicated by AI headshots. But if you're truly looking for the cheapest headshots in the United States, it's worth considering HeadshotPro.

From local photographers, $100 was the cheapest headshot package we came across, offered by 11 of the 751 (1.4%) photographers we collected data on.

The cheapest headshots in the United States

The 5 U.S. states with the cheapest professional headshot prices are:

1. Nevada ($150)
2. Indiana ($175)
3. Missouri ($175)
4. Ohio ($200)
5. West Virginia ($200)

The most expensive headshots in the United States

The 5 U.S. states with the most expensive professional headshot prices are:

1. Wyoming ($550)
2. California ($450)
3. Mississippi ($449)
4. Washington ($449)
5. Massachusetts ($400)

What factors influence the price of professional headshots?

According to our data, the cost of headshot photos could set you back as much as $2,500… depending on what you need your headshots for.

The primary factors influencing the cost of headshots are:

• Length of photoshoot: 15 minute sessions, where you get 1 photo back, are among the cheapest headshot packages available.
• Number of photos: The more photos you get back, the more expensive your session will be.
• Experience and skillset of photographer: A specialty photographer with a marketing or acting background will always cost more than someone who simply takes good photos.

Maddie Peschong is a South Dakota based photographer who charges $2,500 for a custom personal brand session, where her customers walk away with 50+ curated images.

Mariah Milan hosts a beautiful Hawaii-based photo shoot, starting at $999 per hour.

Once you approach the $1,000 mark, you're no longer only getting a professional photo, you're getting a branding experience from a seasoned expert.

Are professional headshots worth it?

The data collected by HeadshotPro above reveals the average cost of a headshot photoshoot in the United States is $230.

Are headshots at that price worth the cost?

Professional photographers will tell you to look at the services you purchase from them as an investment into your career.

By representing yourself in a professional manner, they believe that you will be exposed to unique opportunities that you might not have access to if you were using less professional photos.

While you should never ask a barber if you need a haircut, the science seems to support the idea that optimizing your professional profile for a positive first impression could lead to a higher chance of forming a good first impression.

A study by Willis and Todorov (2006) demonstrated that individuals can form impressions of others in as little as 100 milliseconds. This rapid judgment often revolves around traits such as trustworthiness and attractiveness, both characteristics that could be better demonstrated in a professionally taken photo than in a selfie or DIY photo taken with good intentions.

How much do AI headshots cost?

HeadshotPro's AI headshots are 8x cheaper than a physical photoshoot. You get up to 200 headshots back, and they're delivered to your email in 2 hours or less.

There are 3 different AI headshot packages to choose from:

• 40 headshots, across 4 different styles, delivered in 3 hours or less for $29
• 100 headshots, across 10 different styles, delivered in 2 hours or less for $39
• 200 headshots, across 20 different styles, delivered in 1 hour or less for $59

We highly recommend local photographers in situations where you can serve to benefit from their specialty experience. Actors and models, especially, would benefit from having certain emotions captured with a human touch.

If you simply need a professional photo done quickly for your LinkedIn, professional website, or for your employees, HeadshotPro may be right for you. Did you know we just passed 1,000 reviews on TrustPilot?