Photographers pay in the U.S.
$55,410avg. a year
$26.64 an hour · 51,760 employed
Photographers in the U.S. earn an average of $55,410 a year and a median of $44,660. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($104,630) and lowest in Arkansas ($34,700).
$44,660Median pay
$26.64Average hourly
+10%Avg. pay since 2020
51,760Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for photographers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1260 jobs
District of Columbia
$104,630
$50.30 an hour
23,650 jobs
New York
$71,710
$34.48 an hour
3830 jobs
Massachusetts
$71,300
$34.28 an hour
47,980 jobs
California
$70,040
$33.67 an hour
5510 jobs
Oregon
$69,290
$33.31 an hour
6230 jobs
New Mexico
$58,220
$27.99 an hour
71,140 jobs
Colorado
$58,170
$27.97 an hour
8790 jobs
Maryland
$57,560
$27.68 an hour
91,420 jobs
Georgia
$57,260
$27.53 an hour
10630 jobs
Connecticut
$57,250
$27.52 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Photographers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $44k$44k–$49k$49k–$56k$56k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $83,790 | $40.28 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $75,490 | $36.30 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $73,520 | $35.35 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $72,020 | $34.63 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $71,860 | $34.55 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $70,820 | $34.05 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $70,220 | $33.76 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $69,900 | $33.61 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Photographers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,480 | $36,130 | 530 |
| Alaska | $50,090 | $39,190 | 50 |
| Arizona | $47,330 | $36,970 | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $34,700 | $32,810 | 240 |
| California | $70,040 | $47,840 | 7,980 |
| Colorado | $58,170 | $47,070 | 1,140 |
| Connecticut | $57,250 | $49,790 | 630 |
| Delaware | $51,040 | $50,100 | 180 |
| District of Columbia | $104,630 | $110,970 | 260 |
| Florida | $52,130 | $42,640 | 4,390 |
| Georgia | $57,260 | $43,770 | 1,420 |
| Hawaii | $57,030 | $45,960 | 440 |
| Idaho | $37,950 | $33,320 | 190 |
| Illinois | $50,600 | $36,570 | 2,150 |
| Indiana | $40,650 | $35,960 | 810 |
| Iowa | $42,860 | $38,290 | 430 |
| Kansas | $44,120 | $37,790 | 300 |
| Kentucky | $49,990 | $47,170 | 380 |
| Louisiana | $43,530 | $36,830 | 510 |
| Maine | $52,320 | $46,680 | 180 |
| Maryland | $57,560 | $46,450 | 790 |
| Massachusetts | $71,300 | $57,990 | 830 |
| Minnesota | $56,220 | $46,470 | 730 |
| Mississippi | $45,970 | $45,860 | 190 |
| Missouri | $47,380 | $39,170 | 950 |
| Montana | $49,120 | $39,900 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $47,070 | $41,920 | 220 |
| Nevada | $41,360 | $37,460 | 890 |
| New Hampshire | $49,740 | $44,780 | 220 |
| New Jersey | $53,410 | $40,520 | 1,460 |
| New Mexico | $58,220 | $48,090 | 230 |
| New York | $71,710 | $60,050 | 3,650 |
| North Carolina | $47,540 | $37,120 | 2,130 |
| North Dakota | $45,730 | $37,410 | 70 |
| Ohio | $46,780 | $38,470 | 1,540 |
| Oklahoma | $40,300 | $36,750 | 330 |
| Oregon | $69,290 | $53,630 | 510 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,190 | $40,520 | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $49,440 | $37,300 | 220 |
| South Carolina | $44,380 | $37,890 | 630 |
| South Dakota | $43,740 | $45,330 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $44,060 | $37,950 | 780 |
| Texas | $43,720 | $41,280 | 4,330 |
| Utah | $51,290 | $52,140 | 660 |
| Virginia | $52,640 | $46,550 | 1,580 |
| Washington | $56,270 | $48,050 | 960 |
| West Virginia | $41,220 | $36,110 | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $49,640 | $42,060 | 850 |
| Wyoming | $44,960 | $39,330 | 50 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$73,520
4,290 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$71,860
3,590 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$52,040
1,590 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$45,480
1,480 jobsMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$58,140
1,470 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$47,150
1,140 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$70,220
1,060 jobsOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
$45,420
980 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do photographers make?
The average is $55,410 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $44,660 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $26.64, and the median is $21.47 an hour.
Which state pays photographers the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $104,630 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $83,790.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $30,820 a year, and the top 10% earn over $91,810.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-4021. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.