Written BY JULIA KUZMENKO MCKIM
INTRODUCTION
In polling and survey methodologies, it is well-known that after reaching a threshold sample size, the results stabilize, and the law of diminishing returns comes into play. The marginal benefit of adding more respondents becomes very small in terms of changing percentage outcomes.
We have been consistently witnessing this statistical theory play out in our Freelance Business-related polls on @retouchingacademy.
Central Limit Theorem: As long as a sample is random and sufficiently large, the distribution of sample means will be normally distributed, even if the population distribution is not. This means that even with a relatively small sample size (e.g., 50 participants), the overall results often reflect the percentages accurately.
Reference: A Survey of Statistical Theorems, C.R. Rao, Linear Statistical Inference and Its Applications.
However, our goal is not to capture a snapshot of the industry at this moment, but to continuously monitor fluctuations in response percentages over time.
Our first report is based on the smallest number of participants to date (52, as of the end of September 2024), and as more freelancers complete this ongoing survey, our reports will allow us all to see a more accurate picture as well as the changes that are happening “on the ground”.
🔴 Please take a moment to add your response, so we can collectively monitor the real-time changes in the retouching market and explore ways to adjust freelance business strategies for photographers and retouchers or pivot if needed. Your input is appreciated by all!
You’re likely already aware that the current changes impact all creative professionals—not just photographers and retouchers, but also writers, illustrators, digital artists, and knowledge workers.
While we – creative professionals – cannot stop the evolution of the digital economy, uniting our efforts to equip ourselves with the knowledge to adapt and reshape our businesses is crucial. By doing so, we can help thousands of freelancers worldwide, including yourself, if your business is impacted by market changes in the near future.
With that being said, the first results of our recent Retouching Freelance Market Trends Survey already offer valuable insights into the current state of the retouching industry.
Be sure to scroll down to the final paragraphs, which highlight the shifting dynamics in retouching workload over the past few years.
📌 Read more on the current state of Retouching Freelance.
This ongoing survey aims to track the evolving global freelance retouching market, focusing on four key areas:
- Retouching freelance market composition (who and where);
- Rates freelancers are charging;
- Types of retouching (photography genres and retouching styles) they are hired for;
- Current workload (to monitor potential decline due to economic and technological changes).
We will continue publishing the results on our blog and provide deeper analysis and recommendations to our newsletter subscribers.
RETOUCHING MARKET SURVEY Report, Q3 2024
First, let’s meet our participants.
The majority of respondents are freelance retouchers working across beauty, fashion, and commercial projects, serving a wide range of clients including individuals, photographers, agencies, and brands, reflecting the broad demand for retouching across various visual content industries.
Participants selected multiple types of clients:
- Individual clients (private clients, influencers, small business owners, etc.);
- Photographers, makeup artists other creative professionals;
- Commercial clients (medium to large size brands);
- Creative or Advertising agencies;
- Retouching studios or independent retouchers
- Agency (we’ve combined answers describing various types of agencies, including photography service agencies that contract out to photographers and editors (retouchers) nationally);
- Fashion and luxury brands.
RATES & WORKLOAD
50% of our respondents stated that over 50% of their income comes from retouching services, whether they are retouching freelancers or photographers who also offer retouching. For about 43%+ of respondents retouching is a secondary service they offer.
In terms of pricing, the survey highlights a significant variation in rates, largely dependent on experience and the complexity of work.
🔴 A more detailed report will be sent out to our RA Inner Circle Newsletter subscribers next week, subscribe to receive it.
Entry-level retouchers charge around $20-$50 per hour, while more experienced professionals report rates exceeding $150 per hour.
Notably, there is a growing trend toward project-based pricing, especially among seasoned retouchers who prefer the flexibility and predictability it offers.
When it comes to workload, the data indicates that most freelancers handle a moderate volume of retouching work, with over 51% reporting 11-40 hours of retouching work per week, and over 25% are doing 41+ hours of retouching per week.
However, a small segment of respondents – under 10% – particularly those with established client bases, work more than 60 hours weekly, signaling strong demand in certain niches.
COOPERATION
Over 42% of retouchers subcontract work, forming small cooperatives or agencies.
This collaborative approach enables faster turnaround times and higher client satisfaction, while fostering mentorship and professional growth within the industry.
It’s also an effective way to scale a freelance business, as I’ve done with Avenue Retouching agency.
By hand-picking the top-tier junior- and advanced-level beauty retouchers and training them in the non-destructive retouching methods that fit my retouching workflow (we created our Pro Beauty Retouching online course based on the onboarding training for our Avenue retouchers), as well as our internal standard operating procedures (SOP), I built a strong retouching team that has been working with me on major beauty brand campaigns for many years now.
Navigating the Downturn
As the retouching market continues to evolve, it’s clear that freelancers are adapting to changes in client demands, technology, and pricing structures.
However, over 45% of the participants reported a decline in their retouching workload over the past couple of years.
While reasons vary (we will be diving deeper in our newsletter), it’s clear the industry is shifting. Monitoring these changes and exploring ways freelancers can sustain their businesses, join cooperatives, or pivot is crucial—topics we’ll be covering in future Next Gen Freelancer newsletters.
Continuous monitoring of these trends will help us better understand the shifting landscape and enable freelancers to make informed decisions about their pricing, workload, and positioning in this competitive industry.
Fill out our survey to help us continue monitoring the industry transformation, and join our Next Gen Freelancer newsletter to receive detailed survey reports and recommendations for freelancers in photography and retouching.
Written by JULIA KUZMENKO MCKIM, juliakuzmenko.com
RA Founder, Commercial Beauty Photographer & Retoucher
Los Angeles + Dallas
