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How much does stock photography really pay?
Shutterstock pays 15% to 40% of what it receives, and some downloads pay $0.10 at any level. Alamy’s 40% rate now needs over $3,000 of sales a year.
You shoot a photo once and can sell it many times, but the sum per sale can be small. Agencies publish a percentage, and what that means depends on what the customer paid. Alamy says its average licence is $35, while a Shutterstock download can pay $0.10.
What do you need for stock photography?
- A camera and editing timeThose costs come first.
- An account at each agencyEach one has its own contract, so read it.
- PatienceAlamy says a sale takes between 45 days and 4 months to clear.
What stock photography really pays
| Item | Figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Shutterstock | 15% to 40% | 6 levels, and everyone resets to level 1 on 1 January |
| Shutterstock low end | $0.10 | Some downloads pay this at any level |
| Adobe Stock | 33%, or 35% on video | Reported by 2 guides, because Adobe’s page could not be read when we checked |
| Alamy under $250 a year | 15% | Bronze |
| Alamy $250 to $3,000 | 20% | Silver, since 1 September 2026 |
| Alamy over $3,000 | 40% | Gold, up to $25,000 a year |
| Alamy over $25,000 | 50% | Platinum, for images exclusive to Alamy |
Our sums: at $0.10 a download, $100 takes 1,000 downloads. On Alamy’s $35 average licence, 20% is $7.
What it adds up to
| Example | You get |
|---|---|
| 1,000 Shutterstock downloads at $0.10 | $100 |
| 10,000 Shutterstock downloads at $0.10 | $1,000 |
| 10 Alamy sales at the $35 average, Silver 20% | $70 |
| 50 Alamy sales at the $35 average, Silver 20% | $350 |
$0.10 is the low end that some Shutterstock downloads pay at any level. Our sums on the numbers above: an example, not a promise.
When does stock photography pay you?
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Shutterstock | Monthly, once you reach the minimum you set, by Payoneer, PayPal or Skrill |
| Alamy | Once your cleared balance is over $75, by PayPal or funds transfer |
| First money | No published figure |
What is the catch with stock photography?
- Alamy’s change cut many contributors from 40% to 20%, reports PetaPixel, and a press photographers’ group asked it to keep 40%.
- New Alamy accounts start on Silver, its contract says.
- Shutterstock’s percentage is of the price it receives, so the same photo can pay different sums.
- Levels reset each January, so your rate can fall on the same photos.
How to start with stock photography
- Read each contractRates here changed in 2026, so check the date.
- Do the sumWork out what 1,000 downloads would pay you.
- Compare agenciesCompare the rate you would really be on.
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Sources
- Shutterstock: how much contributors are paid, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Shutterstock: why you may still see $0.10 earnings, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Shutterstock: how contributors get paid, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Xpiks: how much Adobe Stock pays contributors, checked 5 Nov 2026
- AutoKeyWorder: Adobe Stock vs Shutterstock, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Alamy contributor help: sales and payment, checked 5 Nov 2026
- Alamy: record of contributor contract changes, checked 5 Nov 2026
- PetaPixel: stock photographers and Alamy’s contract (1 Sep 2026), checked 5 Nov 2026