Photographers Salary by State and Metro Area
Photographers in the United States earn a median salary of $44,660/year ($21.47/hr). Salaries range from $30,820 to $91,810 depending on experience. Below, compare salaries across 49 states and 30 metro areas where BLS publishes data.
$31K
10th percentile
$36K
25th percentile
$45K
Median
$63K
75th percentile
$92K
90th percentile
Where Photographers have the most money left over after rent
Median pay minus estimated federal + state + FICA taxes, minus 12 months of rent at HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. Darker green means more money left over each year. Hover any state for the breakdown.
View map data as a table
| State | Median (nominal) | Rent/mo (2BR) | Left after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111K | $2,146 | $54K |
| New Mexico | $48K | $1,119 | $26K |
| South Dakota | $45K | $1,017 | $26K |
| Kentucky | $47K | $1,110 | $25K |
| New York | $60K | $1,917 | $25K |
| Utah | $52K | $1,350 | $25K |
| Mississippi | $46K | $1,077 | $24K |
| Delaware | $50K | $1,448 | $23K |
| Maine | $47K | $1,281 | $22K |
| Oregon | $54K | $1,555 | $22K |
| Wyoming | $39K | $1,008 | $22K |
| Minnesota | $46K | $1,384 | $21K |
| Nebraska | $42K | $1,113 | $21K |
| New Hampshire | $45K | $1,528 | $20K |
| Wisconsin | $42K | $1,202 | $20K |
| Connecticut | $50K | $1,679 | $20K |
| Missouri | $39K | $1,097 | $19K |
| Montana | $40K | $1,129 | $19K |
| North Dakota | $37K | $1,034 | $19K |
| Washington | $48K | $1,830 | $19K |
| Georgia | $44K | $1,434 | $18K |
| Iowa | $38K | $1,064 | $18K |
| Kansas | $38K | $1,066 | $18K |
| Massachusetts | $58K | $2,347 | $18K |
| Ohio | $38K | $1,188 | $18K |
| Tennessee | $38K | $1,215 | $18K |
| Texas | $41K | $1,415 | $18K |
| Virginia | $47K | $1,646 | $18K |
| West Virginia | $36K | $1,008 | $18K |
| Oklahoma | $37K | $1,081 | $17K |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | $1,351 | $17K |
| South Carolina | $38K | $1,263 | $17K |
| Florida | $43K | $1,658 | $16K |
| Indiana | $36K | $1,144 | $16K |
| Louisiana | $37K | $1,191 | $16K |
| Maryland | $46K | $1,795 | $16K |
| Colorado | $47K | $1,832 | $16K |
| Alabama | $36K | $1,085 | $16K |
| North Carolina | $37K | $1,284 | $15K |
| Arkansas | $33K | $1,021 | $15K |
| Idaho | $33K | $1,136 | $14K |
| Nevada | $37K | $1,501 | $14K |
| Alaska | $39K | $1,643 | $14K |
| Arizona | $37K | $1,437 | $14K |
| Illinois | $37K | $1,407 | $13K |
| Rhode Island | $37K | $1,544 | $12K |
| California | $48K | $2,471 | $10K |
| Hawaii | $46K | $2,240 | $9K |
| New Jersey | $41K | $2,067 | $9K |
Photographers salary by state
| State | Median | Hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111K | $53.35/hr | 260 |
| New York | $60K | $28.87/hr | 3,650 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | $27.88/hr | 830 |
| Oregon | $54K | $25.78/hr | 510 |
| Utah | $52K | $25.07/hr | 660 |
| Delaware | $50K | $24.09/hr | 180 |
| Connecticut | $50K | $23.94/hr | 630 |
| New Mexico | $48K | $23.12/hr | 230 |
| Washington | $48K | $23.1/hr | 960 |
| California | $48K | $23/hr | 7,980 |
| Kentucky | $47K | $22.68/hr | 380 |
| Colorado | $47K | $22.63/hr | 1,140 |
| Maine | $47K | $22.44/hr | 180 |
| Virginia | $47K | $22.38/hr | 1,580 |
| Minnesota | $46K | $22.34/hr | 730 |
| Maryland | $46K | $22.33/hr | 790 |
| Hawaii | $46K | $22.1/hr | 440 |
| Mississippi | $46K | $22.05/hr | 190 |
| South Dakota | $45K | $21.79/hr | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $45K | $21.53/hr | 220 |
| Georgia | $44K | $21.04/hr | 1,420 |
| Florida | $43K | $20.5/hr | 4,390 |
| Wisconsin | $42K | $20.22/hr | 850 |
| Nebraska | $42K | $20.15/hr | 220 |
| Texas | $41K | $19.85/hr | 4,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | $19.48/hr | 1,870 |
| New Jersey | $41K | $19.48/hr | 1,460 |
| Montana | $40K | $19.18/hr | 190 |
| Wyoming | $39K | $18.91/hr | 50 |
| Alaska | $39K | $18.84/hr | 50 |
| Missouri | $39K | $18.83/hr | 950 |
| Ohio | $38K | $18.5/hr | 1,540 |
| Iowa | $38K | $18.41/hr | 430 |
| Tennessee | $38K | $18.25/hr | 780 |
| South Carolina | $38K | $18.22/hr | 630 |
| Kansas | $38K | $18.17/hr | 300 |
| Nevada | $37K | $18.01/hr | 890 |
| North Dakota | $37K | $17.99/hr | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | $17.93/hr | 220 |
| North Carolina | $37K | $17.84/hr | 2,130 |
| Arizona | $37K | $17.77/hr | 1,360 |
| Louisiana | $37K | $17.71/hr | 510 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | $17.67/hr | 330 |
| Illinois | $37K | $17.58/hr | 2,150 |
| Alabama | $36K | $17.37/hr | 530 |
| West Virginia | $36K | $17.36/hr | 110 |
| Indiana | $36K | $17.29/hr | 810 |
| Idaho | $33K | $16.02/hr | 190 |
| Arkansas | $33K | $15.78/hr | 240 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Top paying metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Bend, OR | $66K | 30 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $63K | 70 |
| Boulder, CO | $61K | 60 |
| Springfield, MA | $60K | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $60K | 3,590 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $60K | 280 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $59K | 350 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $59K | 880 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $58K | 150 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $57K | 100 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $56K | 60 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $55K | 60 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $55K | 670 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $55K | 1,060 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $54K | 160 |
| Springfield, MO | $53K | 80 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $52K | 210 |
| Montgomery, AL | $52K | 30 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $52K | 100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $52K | 550 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $51K | 160 |
| New Haven, CT | $51K | 100 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $51K | 130 |
| Santa Fe, NM | $51K | 40 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $51K | 40 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $51K | 60 |
| Worcester, MA | $50K | 60 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $50K | 240 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $50K | 150 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $50K | 1,470 |