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Senior Photo Editor Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Vast

Senior Photo Editor (Fixed Term)

Long Beach, CA · On-site

$45 - $64/hr

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 ...

New

New York Post

Reporting into the Senior Social Media Editor, this vital role will manage the day-to-day social ... Proficiency in video and photo editing software, including Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro ...

Chapman University

Student Graphic Designer

Orange, CA · On-site

$16.90/hr

... to senior designers and creative staff * Adapt illustrations, photography, and video content for multi-platform use * Assist with photo and video organization, editing, archiving, and asset ...

Promenade

Senior Creative Designer

Santa Monica, CA · Hybrid

$80K - $120K/yr

Promenade is seeking a highly skilled and strategic Senior Creative Designer to join our dynamic ... and photo editing. * Technical Skills - Proficiency in industry-standard design tools, including ...

Promenade

Senior Creative Designer

Santa Monica, CA · Hybrid

$80K - $120K/yr

Promenade is seeking a highly skilled and strategic Senior Creative Designer to join our dynamic ... and photo editing. * Technical Skills - Proficiency in industry-standard design tools, including ...

Promenade

Senior Creative Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site +1

$80K - $120K/yr

Promenade is seeking a highly skilled and strategic Senior Creative Designer to join our dynamic ... and photo editing. * Technical Skills - Proficiency in industry-standard design tools, including ...

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All JobsPhoto Editor JobsSenior Photo Editor JobsSenior Photo Editor Jobs in California

Senior Photo Editor information

See California salary details

$36.5K

$82K

$118.9K

How much do senior photo editor jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior photo editor in California is $82,022.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,100.00 and $103,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior photo editor?

A Senior Photo Editor is responsible for overseeing the selection, editing, and production of high-quality images for publications, digital media, or marketing materials. They manage a team of photo editors and collaborate with photographers, designers, and writers to ensure visual consistency and storytelling. Their duties often include retouching images, optimizing color corrections, and maintaining brand aesthetics. They also stay updated on industry trends and emerging editing technologies to enhance visual content.

What does a senior photo editor do?

A typical day for a Senior Photo Editor involves selecting and editing images for publication, overseeing the work of junior editors, and ensuring that all photos align with the brand’s visual guidelines. You’ll collaborate closely with photographers, art directors, designers, and sometimes writers to create cohesive visual narratives for various media platforms. Regular responsibilities include managing workflows, reviewing image submissions, providing creative direction, and problem-solving under tight deadlines. This role is highly collaborative and requires an ability to balance creative vision with practical project management. Working in this position gives you the opportunity to shape the visual identity of major projects, while also mentoring junior team members.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior photo editor?

To thrive as a Senior Photo Editor, you need expert skills in photo editing, color correction, image retouching, and an in-depth understanding of visual storytelling, usually supported by a degree in photography, visual arts, or a related field. Mastery of technical tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and digital asset management systems is often required. Strong leadership, collaboration, and communication skills help you manage projects, lead creative teams, and coordinate with photographers and designers. These capabilities are essential for maintaining high-quality visual standards, meeting tight deadlines, and delivering impactful imagery in a fast-paced environment.

What are the most commonly searched types of Photo Editor jobs in California? The most popular types of Photo Editor jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Senior Photo Editor jobs in California? For Senior Photo Editor jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Senior Photo Editor jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Photo Editor jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Senior Photo Editor jobs? Cities in California with the most Senior Photo Editor job openings:
Senior Photo Editor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Photo Editor job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 76% Full Time, 20% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 76% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 20% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $82,022 per year, or $39.4 per hour.

Senior Photo Editor (Fixed Term)

Vast

Long Beach, CA

Full-time

Posted 4 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.

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