Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary
Production Occupations · 4.8K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$40,610
Median hourly
$20
Average annual
$46,050
Typical range
$30,090–$68,800
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators is $40,610 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 $20 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Perform work involved in developing and processing photographic images from film or digital media. May perform precision tasks such as editing photographic negatives and prints..
Most earn between $30,090 and $68,800 a year. There are roughly 4.8K people employed as photographic process workers and processing machine operators 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 Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators.
- Hourly
- $19.52
- Daily
- $156
- Weekly
- $781
- Bi-weekly
- $1,562
- Monthly
- $3,384
- Annual
- $40,610
$40,610 a year is around the 50th percentile for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operatorss. The median is $40,610.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New York$57,760
- 2Virginia$47,380
- 3California$47,320
- 4Florida$46,840
- 5Wisconsin$46,480
- 6Washington$46,280
- 7Maryland$45,600
- 8Iowa$43,310
- 9New Jersey$43,300
- 10Delaware$42,220
- 11Oregon$39,940
- 12Utah$39,510
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$60,320
- 2San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$56,550
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$54,400
- 4New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$52,000
- 5Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$50,740
- 6Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$47,450
- 7Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$46,810
- 8Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$44,560
- 9Jacksonville, FL$43,490
- 10Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$43,240
- 11Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$43,100
- 12Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$41,280
Related job titles
Employers advertise Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators roles under these titles.
- Air Brush Artist
- Airbrush Artist
- Art Tracer
- Automatic Developer
- Automatic Mounter
- Automatic Print Developer
- Black and White Printer Operator
- Color Laboratory Technician
- Color Printer Operator
- Computer-Controlled Color Photograph Printer Operator
- Copy Camera Operator
- Darkroom Technician
- Developing Machine Operator
- Digital Imager
- Digital Imaging Technician
- Digital Photo Printer
Related occupations
- Prepress Technicians and Workers$48,690
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers$52,720
- Printing Press Operators$45,780
- Etchers and Engravers$43,310
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer$40,960
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600
- Semiconductor Processing Technicians$51,430
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,270
What a Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators does
- Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software.
- Set or adjust machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, or material requirements.
- Review computer-processed digital images for quality.
- Measure and mix chemicals to prepare solutions for processing, according to formulas.
- Load digital images onto computers directly from cameras or from storage devices, such as flash memory cards or universal serial bus (USB) devices.
- Load circuit boards, racks or rolls of film, negatives, or printing paper into processing or printing machines.
- Insert processed negatives and prints into envelopes for delivery to customers.
- Clean or maintain photoprocessing or darkroom equipment, using ultrasonic equipment or cleaning and rinsing solutions.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators is $40,610 ($20 per hour). Pay ranges from about $30,090 at the 10th percentile to $68,800 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $46,050, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operatorss the most?
- New York has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $57,760.
- Is Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 4.8K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators do?
- Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software.; Set or adjust machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, or material requirements.; Review computer-processed digital images for quality..