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High End Retouching Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Vast

Senior Photo Editor (Fixed Term)

Long Beach, CA · On-site

$45 - $64/hr

Deep proficiency in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, CaptureOne, with strong command of color grading, light balancing, and high-end retouching technique. * Demonstrated ability to define or work ...

Aquent

Line Producer, Social Style

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$60 - $64/hr

... high-end editorial, and agile "run-and-gun" formats. * Direct and manage union and non-union talent ... Supervise all post-production pipelines, including motion graphics, sound design, retouching, color ...

Meta

Print Producer Lead, Design Studio

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$149K - $209K/yr

... end-to-end creative production of large-scale, high-impact content and experiences across Meta ... retouching and print production, including RGB to CMYK conversion, printing processes, securing a ...

TEKsystems

Email Developer

Torrance, CA · On-site

$54.42/hr

Build email campaigns and microsites by delivering end to end coding including QA and UAT ... retouch. Additional Skills & Qualifications * Automotive Industry BG * CAN-SPAM familiarity

Alpinestars

Senior Graphic Designer

Torrance, CA · On-site

$80K - $90K/yr

You'll lead the design process from concept through execution, ensuring high-quality, on-brand ... Solid grasp of the end-to-end creative process, from concept through production, with strong ...

Divergent

Brand Designer

Torrance, CA · On-site

$100K - $137K/yr

... and high-quality visual storytelling across all touchpoints. The Role * Lead the creative ... Experience with image retouching, manipulation, color correction, and production optimization

Divergent

Brand Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$100K - $137K/yr

... and high-quality visual storytelling across all touchpoints. The Role * Lead the creative ... Experience with image retouching, manipulation, color correction, and production optimization

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High End Retouching information

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How much do high end retouching jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 28, 2026, the average hourly pay for high end retouching in California is $31.34, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $25.87 and $36.54 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is high end retouching?

A High End Retouching job involves meticulously refining images, often for fashion, beauty, and commercial purposes. It includes advanced techniques like skin smoothing, color correction, blemish removal, and enhancing details while maintaining a natural look. Retouchers work with photographers, brands, and agencies to ensure images are polished to the highest standards. This requires expertise in software like Adobe Photoshop and a strong eye for detail.

What types of images and projects do high end retouchers typically work on, and how do they collaborate with photographers or creative teams?

High end retouchers are often tasked with refining images for fashion, beauty, advertising, and commercial campaigns, ensuring that visuals meet the highest standards for publication or client use. They frequently work closely with photographers, art directors, and graphic designers to understand project goals and achieve a cohesive final product. Collaboration might involve reviewing proofs, discussing creative direction, and making iterative adjustments based on feedback. By being part of a broader creative workflow, high end retouchers play a critical role in maintaining a brand's visual identity and delivering polished, impactful imagery.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in high end retouching, and why are they important?

To excel in High End Retouching, you need advanced proficiency in photo editing principles, color correction, and image manipulation, often supported by a degree in photography, graphic design, or a related field. Mastery of industry-standard software such as Adobe Photoshop and Capture One is essential, and professional certifications in digital imaging can be advantageous. A keen eye for detail, strong time management skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with clients and creative teams set top retouchers apart. These abilities ensure the production of flawless, high-quality images that meet demanding client specifications and project deadlines.

How to become a professional high end retoucher?

To become a professional high end retoucher, develop advanced skills in photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, build a strong portfolio showcasing high-quality work, and gain experience through freelance projects or internships. Continuous learning through tutorials, courses, and industry trends is essential, along with attention to detail and understanding client needs to deliver polished, magazine-quality images.

What are the most commonly searched types of High End Retouching jobs in California?

The most popular types of High End Retouching jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to High End Retouching jobs in California?

For High End Retouching jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching High End Retouching jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for High End Retouching jobs in California are:

High End Retouching jobs near you
Infographic showing various High End Retouching job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $65,190 per year, or $31.3 per hour.

Senior Photo Editor (Fixed Term)

Vast

Long Beach, CA

Full-time

Posted 23 days ago

Job description

Vast is seeking a Senior Photo Editor to join its Media Production team on a fixed-term basis, reporting to the Senior Manager, Media Production. The ideal candidate is a technically precise, visually confident retoucher who can move fast without cutting corners, and who understands color and light well enough to make judgment calls, not just execute a brief. This is a high-leverage engagement: the work this person does in a short window will directly determine how consistent and premium Vast's photography looks going forward.

This is a hands-on, IC role for someone who can walk into an existing body of work, understand the visual direction, and both execute against it and help define it more clearly. You'll work through a real backlog of unedited production photography, and in parallel help formalize the color, light, and retouching standards the team uses so decisions don't have to be re-made from scratch on every shoot.

This is an in-person role based in Long Beach, CA and runs as a 60 day fixed-term position, with potential to extend.

Responsibilities

  • Clear the Backlog: Process existing unedited photography from past shoots to final, delivery-ready quality.
  • Post-Production & Workflow: Manage file handling from ingest to delivery (filenaming, packaging, archiving) and build reusable presets to streamline operations.
  • Define Visual Standards: Partner with the Media Production team to document and maintain consistent color, light, and retouching standards across all photography and photographers.
  • Support Live Production (as needed): Oversee capture-to-delivery for active shoots, including providing on-set Digitech support.
  • Photography (as needed): Execute product, hardware, portrait, or event photography as required, maintaining the same high quality standards.

Minimum  Qualifications

  • 5+ years of professional experience as a photo retoucher or photo editor across commercial, brand, or editorial work.
  • Deep proficiency in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, CaptureOne, with strong command of color grading, light balancing, and high-end retouching technique.
  • Demonstrated ability to define or work within brand-level visual standards, not just execute a one-off brief.
  • Strong eye for consistency across a large volume of images, evidenced through a portfolio showing range and a clear point of view.
  • Able to work independently and move fast without sacrificing quality, this is a short engagement with real volume behind it.
  • Local to LA/Long Beach and available to be onsite..

Preferred Skills & Experience

  • Photography experience (product, hardware, portrait, or event) as a backup capability.
  • Experience shooting or editing for aerospace, tech, or other technical/industrial brands.
  • Experience building documented style guides or visual standards for a brand or production team.

Apply