How Much Do Headshots Cost in 2025 (State-by-State Rates)

Getting a professional headshot is one of those small investments that quietly pays for itself.
A great photo can help you land a job, attract clients, or build trust before you even speak a word.
But if you’ve ever tried to book one, you’ve probably noticed that prices are all over the place.

Some photographers charge $100.
Others charge over $1,000.

So what’s the real cost of professional headshots in the United States in 2025?
We analyzed hundreds of photographer listings, studio websites, and corporate headshot packages across every state to build a clear picture of what people actually pay.

Quick Summary

• Budget sessions typically range from $50 to $150.
• Standard professional sessions cost around $150 to $400, which covers most local studios.
• Premium or branding shoots range from $400 to $1,200 or more, depending on city, experience, and included retouching.
• Corporate headshots for teams usually cost $100 to $350 per person, with discounts for larger groups.
• The national median cost for a single headshot session in 2025 is about $265.

Why Headshots Matter

A professional headshot isn’t just for actors or CEOs anymore. It’s your online first impression.
LinkedIn’s internal data shows that profiles with professional photos get 21 times more views and nine times more connection requests.
It’s simple psychology. People trust people they can see clearly.

Professional photographers have long known this, but in 2025, clients see headshots less as a luxury and more as a career investment.
The Professional Photographers of America (PPA) even reports steady growth in personal branding photography as a core service.

How Much Do Headshots Cost Across the U.S.?

Let’s look at the data.
We collected pricing information from hundreds of local photographers, public studio listings, and corporate photography packages, then normalized the numbers to reflect one individual session with 1–3 retouched images included.

Below is an overview of estimated price ranges for each state. These are averages, not guarantees, but they give a realistic idea of what you can expect.

Average Headshot Prices by State (2025)

Key Takeaways From the Data

1. Big coastal cities are the most expensive.
   Expect higher rates in California, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington, especially in major metro areas like LA, NYC, and Seattle.
2. Smaller states and midwestern markets offer better deals.
   In states like Iowa, Nebraska, and Arkansas, many photographers operate small studios with lower overhead, keeping prices affordable.
3. Corporate sessions are priced differently.
   Team shoots often charge per person, but volume discounts apply. A company booking 20 employees might pay half the individual rate per person.
4. Experience and retouching drive price more than camera gear.
   A photographer charging $600 usually spends more time on direction, lighting, and editing, not just owning a better camera.

Corporate Headshot Pricing Explained

Corporate headshots follow a slightly different pricing model than individual sessions.

• Per person on-site rate: usually $100 to $350.
• Volume discounts: 10 to 50 people often drop the per-person cost to $60 to $150.
• Full branding packages: can run $300 to $600 per person when adding retouching, travel, and consistent lighting setups.

If you’re a company booking a photographer, always ask how many retouched images are included, whether setup fees apply, and if the photographer brings their own backdrop and lighting. Those details affect the total cost more than people realize.

How We Collected and Simplified the Data

Here’s exactly how this data was built.

1. We reviewed over 400 photographer websites across all 50 states plus D.C. using Google Business listings, Yelp, and publicly visible pricing pages.
2. We filtered out promotional offers that required upsells or weren’t comparable (for example, “$49 for one photo, editing sold separately”).
3. We normalized for deliverables. All medians represent a typical single-person headshot session, including 1–3 edited images.
4. We applied cost-of-living adjustments to ensure high-cost metro markets didn’t distort smaller-state averages.
5. We rounded prices to make the table easy to read.

This isn’t a scraped dataset or a list of quoted prices. It’s a realistic market snapshot compiled from real-world listings and adjusted for fairness.

What You Can Expect?

• Entry level: $50 to $150. Great for quick LinkedIn refreshes or student portfolios.
• Mid-range (most common): $150 to $400. Usually includes direction, multiple angles, and light editing.
• Premium sessions: $400 to $1,200 or more. Typically used by executives, creatives, or actors who need multiple looks and advanced retouching.
• Corporate teams: $100 to $350 per person. Often negotiated by group size.

While the median sits near $265 nationally, the difference between a $150 session and a $500 session is usually about time, editing quality, and expertise, not gear.

How to Budget for Your Headshot

1. Decide where you’ll use it. LinkedIn? Company website? Actor portfolio? That determines whether you need one look or multiple outfits.
2. Ask what’s included. Some photographers deliver one final edit, others provide more.
3. Confirm usage rights. Business headshots used for ads or press sometimes need licensing.
4. Check retouching policy. Ask if blemish fixes or color corrections are included in the base price.
5. Compare apples to apples. Two $300 sessions might include very different deliverables.

Why Some Headshots Cost More Than Others

Photographers who charge more usually:

• Spend longer preparing lighting setups.
• Offer more direction during the session.
• Include professional retouching rather than batch editing.
• Provide wardrobe and pose guidance.
• Have consistent experience with corporate or creative clients.

Sometimes, a $500 shoot is worth it simply because it saves you from reshooting later.

Limitations and Transparency

These are estimates, not fixed rates. Prices vary by city, experience, and demand.
We excluded AI-generated services and sales-focused headshot websites when calculating averages, since their prices differ drastically from traditional photographers.

Final Thoughts

Headshots are one of the few investments that pay off immediately.
They sit at the top of your resume, on your LinkedIn, and in your clients’ first impressions.

Whether you spend $150 or $1,000, think of it as a small step toward looking credible, confident, and ready for opportunity.

If you’re hiring a photographer, use this guide to check that the quote feels fair for your state and your needs.
If you’re comparing across states or corporate quotes, remember: you’re not just paying for a photo. You’re paying for direction, lighting, editing, and expertise.

And those, when done right, are worth every dollar.