How much to charge for a UGC photo
A single image is the lowest-effort unit in UGC and the one most likely to be bought in volume. The grid below prices one photo, but in practice almost nobody sells one.
Setting up a shoot costs the same whether you deliver one image or eight, which is why photo work is priced as a set — see the photo set page for that.
Rate table
Calculated for photo at average engagement, one revision round, no rush and no exclusivity. These are starting points, not market quotes — adjust for your category, your market, and the value the brand is getting.
| Following | Organic only | Paid, 30 days | Paid, 90 days | Paid, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5K | $60.00 | $75.00 | $90.00 | $120.00 |
| 5K–25K | $75.00 | $93.75 | $112.50 | $150.00 |
| 25K–100K | $97.50 | $121.88 | $146.25 | $195.00 |
| 100K–500K | $120.00 | $150.00 | $180.00 | $240.00 |
| 500K–1M | $150.00 | $187.50 | $225.00 | $300.00 |
| 1M+ | $187.50 | $234.38 | $281.25 | $375.00 |
Notice the jump across the columns rather than down the rows: the licence moves the number more than the follower count does.
Price your exact briefWhat moves the number
- Set-up is the real cost — Lighting, styling and prop work don't scale down for a single frame. A one-photo brief should be priced as if it were a small set.
- Retouching — Agree the level up front. "Lightly edited" and "retouched to catalogue standard" are different jobs.
- Usage rights — Photos often end up on packaging, in retail displays, and in paid ads — all of which are beyond ordinary organic use and should be priced.
- Model release — If you're in frame, the licence covers your likeness as well as the image. That's worth more, especially for paid placement.
Questions
Should I ever sell a single photo?
Rarely. The set-up cost is the same as for a small set, so a one-image brief is usually better quoted as a set with a reduced count. If you do sell singly, price it closer to your set rate divided by three than by eight.
Do photos cost less than video?
Per asset, yes — but not proportionally to the effort, because lighting and styling carry across both. Brands buying both usually get better value from a bundle.
Put your rates somewhere brands can see them
Save a rate card, publish a media kit, and stop rebuilding the same PDF every time a brand asks what you charge.
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