Photographers Salary
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations · 52K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$44,660
Median hourly
$21
Average annual
$55,410
Typical range
$30,820–$91,810
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Photographers is $44,660 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $21 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance.
Most earn between $30,820 and $91,810 a year. There are roughly 52K people employed as photographers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Photographers.
- Hourly
- $21.47
- Daily
- $172
- Weekly
- $859
- Bi-weekly
- $1,718
- Monthly
- $3,722
- Annual
- $44,660
$44,660 a year is around the 50th percentile for Photographerss. The median is $44,660.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$110,970
- 2New York$60,050
- 3Massachusetts$57,990
- 4Oregon$53,630
- 5Utah$52,140
- 6Delaware$50,100
- 7Connecticut$49,790
- 8New Mexico$48,090
- 9Washington$48,050
- 10California$47,840
- 11Kentucky$47,170
- 12Colorado$47,070
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Bend, OR$65,990
- 2Fort Collins-Loveland, CO$62,550
- 3Boulder, CO$60,930
- 4Springfield, MA$60,430
- 5New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$60,050
- 6Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$60,000
- 7Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$59,220
- 8San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$58,840
- 9Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$58,050
- 10Charleston-North Charleston, SC$56,890
- 11Bakersfield-Delano, CA$56,220
- 12Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$55,220
Related job titles
Employers advertise Photographers roles under these titles.
- Advertising Photographer
- Aerial Photographer
- Automotive Photographer
- Biological Photographer
- Biomedical Photographer
- Commercial Photographer
- Crime Scene Photographer
- Digital Photographer
- Event Photographer
- Fashion Photographer
- Finish Photographer
- Food Photographer
- Forensic Photographer
- Freelance Photographer
- Graduation Photographer
- Industrial Photographer
Related occupations
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators$55,490
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators$40,610
- Graphic Designers$62,960
- Special Effects Artists and Animators$102,030
- Art Directors$114,850
- Film and Video Editors$75,420
- Prepress Technicians and Workers$48,690
- Craft Artists$46,080
What a Photographers does
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
- Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
- Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
- Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Photographers make?
- The median annual wage for Photographers is $44,660 ($21 per hour). Pay ranges from about $30,820 at the 10th percentile to $91,810 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Photographers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $55,410, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Photographerss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $110,970.
- Is Photographers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 52K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Photographers do?
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.; Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.; Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects..