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 used Google to search for `headshots near california, “headshots near nyc”, “headshots near..”—you get the idea—for every US state.
We then visited 5 local photographer websites from each search results page and recorded their rates for a professional headshot photography session.
The entire process took us about 6 hours and 38 minutes to comb through 50 Google search result pages, open 250 local photographer websites, and uncover their rates for professional headshots.
This research was conducted in December 2023. We will refresh the data here periodically to keep updated on the current cost of headshot photo shoots.
Finally, we can now answer how much do headshots in the United States actually cost, with complete confidence. Are you ready to find out?
The cheapest headshots in America
We encountered a few surprises during the process of writing this article, but this was not one of them. AI generated headshots are still a strong value option for anybody shopping for professional headshots photos. We may be biased, but the numbers don’t lie.
The median cost of headshots found during our research will set you back a clean $250—that’s more than 8x more expensive than our $29 AI headshot package.
The 3 cheapest local headshot photographers in the United States? Here they are:
- Platinum Photography in North Dakota charges $75 for a business portrait headshot, making it the cheapest headshot studio we found during our research, and only 2.5x more expensive than our professional headshots.
- StudioE Headshots in Louisville starts their pricing at $95 for a headshot session
- Utah Headshot in—you guessed it—Utah, charges $98 for a new professional headshot
If you live nearby one of those 3 headshot studios—you’re in luck! You’re one of the few people in the entire country with local access to the cheapest professional headshots in America.
[HeadshotPro] made it more easy and also cheaper then a real life shoot. - Ive, HeadshotPro customer
Don’t forget about Craigslist
If you need to save a buck and are comfortable meeting with a stranger from the internet, there are likely a few budding photographers hanging around the classifieds with their dSLRs, hoping to snap a few shots in exchange for $50.
Obviously, it’s hard to guarantee the end result will be something you feel good about… but it might work out.
If price is a priority, professional AI headshots could be a great fit. HeadshotPro can generate 40-240 professional headshots for you in about 2 hours, for less than $50.
And we didn’t even mention all the gas money you’ll save!
The most expensive headshots in America
Can you guess where the most expensive headshots are being taken?
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.
Maddie Peschong is a South Dakota based photographer who details her story as “from burnt-out AF working two jobs to multi-six-figure CEO who’s a human first and a business owner second.”
Maddie is big on brand photography, where her average client invests $2,500 in a custom personal brand session, resulting in 50+ specifically curated images.
It’s safe to say that the $2,500 package from Maddie could be a bit overkill for the humble purposes of improving your LinkedIn profile.
Personal branding bonuses aren’t the only reason why your headshot photography session could end up costing as much as a car payment. Mariah Milan hosts a beautiful Hawaii-based photo shoot, starting at $999 per hour, which you’ll walk away from with 75 high resolution images—so about $13.30 per photo.
HeadshotPro customer Robin needed professional headshots with same day turnaround when he chose our Normal shoot (120 headshots) for $39.
The most expensive States to get a headshot
Before we highlight the most expensive headshots in the entire United States, it’s probably right that we provide some context here.
Generally speaking, the more expensive a headshot is, the more likely it is to include bells and whistles that promise to add value in other ways than just a fantastic photo. Many of the higher priced photographers in our research here include branding bonuses that larger corporations may have interest in.
But not always…
Maddie and Mariah highlight the more “fun” headshot packages we uncovered in our research. In many cases, an inflated cost for headshots simply reflects the photographer’s level of experience. NC Headshot, for example, charges $525 for a 30-minute session that doesn’t even include full post-shoot photo retouching.
Top 5 most expensive headshots by State
- South Dakota: Median price of $872.50
- Alabama: Median price of $545
- New York: Median price of $499
- Wisconsin: Median price of $375
- Arizona: Median price of $350
Is it a good time to mention you can get 40 professional AI headshots for just $29?
No? Alright, let’s continue.
Headshot Pricing in United States, Ranked by State
Here are the final numbers on the cost of headshots in the United States. It may be a small sample size, but the median numbers provided here should give you a rough idea as to what to expect when it comes to headshot pricing with a local photographer.
The cost of a headshot photo shoot in the United States is...
| State | Median Price ($) |
|---|---|
| South Dakota | $872.5 |
| Alabama | $545 |
| New York | $499 |
| Wisconsin | $375 |
| Arizona | $350 |
| Arkansas | $350 |
| Hawaii | $325 |
| Oregon | $325 |
| Colorado | $312 |
| Delaware | $300 |
| New Hampshire | $300 |
| Michigan | $299 |
| Connecticut | $295 |
| New Jersey | $295 |
| Virginia | $295 |
| Washington | $295 |
| North Dakota | $275 |
| Tennessee | $275 |
| Massachusetts | $270 |
| Maryland | $262.5 |
| North Carolina | $262.5 |
| Idaho | $250 |
| Iowa | $250 |
| Maine | $250 |
| Louisiana | $237.5 |
| Minnesota | $227.5 |
| California | $225 |
| Florida | $225 |
| Montana | $224.5 |
| Alaska | $224 |
| Wyoming | $224 |
| Illinois | $200 |
| Indiana | $200 |
| Kansas | $200 |
| Kentucky | $200 |
| Missouri | $200 |
| Nebraska | $200 |
| Oklahoma | $200 |
| Texas | $200 |
| Utah | $200 |
| Vermont | $199.5 |
| South Carolina | $190 |
| Rhode Island | $185 |
| Georgia | $175 |
| Mississippi | $165 |
| West Virginia | $152.5 |
| New Mexico | $150 |
| Ohio | $150 |
| Pennsylvania | $150 |
| Nevada | $110 |
The total average cost of a headshot in the United States is $262.84, approximately 9 times the cost of AI headshots.
The median cost of a headshot in the United States is $232.50, approximately 8 times the cost of AI headshots.
Just got a promotion, needed a new corp directory photo, one for the messaging, and an update for linkedin. - Gregg, HeadshotPro customer
The best value professional headshots
Have you seen our headshot examples page?
Every photo you see on that page is a professional headshot generated for a real paying customer of HeadshotPro, shared with their permission.
HeadshotPro produces studio quality executive headshots in just 2 hours after you upload your selfies.
Ready to get your own professional headshots done, without leaving your home? Click here to learn more.
