Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Bend, OR is $65,990/year ($31.73/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.61), that's roughly $63,691 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,784/month, about 41.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Bend?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bend’s Regional Price Parity (103.61). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About photographers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Bend
Bend sits well above the national pay line for photographers, local pay runs about 48% higher than the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,784/month, which is 43.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.61) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for photographers in metros near Bend, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $59K | $56K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | $42K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $59K | $51K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $37K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bend, OR
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Photographers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Photographers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111K | +148% | 260 |
| New York | $60K | +34% | 3,650 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +30% | 830 |
| Oregon | $54K | +20% | 510 |
| Utah | $52K | +17% | 660 |
| Delaware | $50K | +12% | 180 |
| Connecticut | $50K | +11% | 630 |
| New Mexico | $48K | +8% | 230 |
| Washington | $48K | +8% | 960 |
| California | $48K | +7% | 7,980 |
| Kentucky | $47K | +6% | 380 |
| Colorado | $47K | +5% | 1,140 |
| Maine | $47K | +5% | 180 |
| Virginia | $47K | +4% | 1,580 |
| Minnesota | $46K | +4% | 730 |
| Maryland | $46K | +4% | 790 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +3% | 440 |
| Mississippi | $46K | +3% | 190 |
| South Dakota | $45K | +2% | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $45K | +0% | 220 |
| Georgia | $44K | -2% | 1,420 |
| Florida | $43K | -5% | 4,390 |
| Wisconsin | $42K | -6% | 850 |
| Nebraska | $42K | -6% | 220 |
| Texas | $41K | -8% | 4,330 |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | -9% | 1,870 |
| New Jersey | $41K | -9% | 1,460 |
| Montana | $40K | -11% | 190 |
| Wyoming | $39K | -12% | 50 |
| Alaska | $39K | -12% | 50 |
| Missouri | $39K | -12% | 950 |
| Ohio | $38K | -14% | 1,540 |
| Iowa | $38K | -14% | 430 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -15% | 780 |
| South Carolina | $38K | -15% | 630 |
| Kansas | $38K | -15% | 300 |
| Nevada | $37K | -16% | 890 |
| North Dakota | $37K | -16% | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -16% | 220 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -17% | 2,130 |
| Arizona | $37K | -17% | 1,360 |
| Louisiana | $37K | -18% | 510 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -18% | 330 |
| Illinois | $37K | -18% | 2,150 |
| Alabama | $36K | -19% | 530 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -19% | 110 |
| Indiana | $36K | -19% | 810 |
| Idaho | $33K | -25% | 190 |
| Arkansas | $33K | -27% | 240 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track photographers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Bend numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bend?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 43.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,784/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for photographers in Bend?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,231/month. At HUD’s $1,784/month FMR, rent would take 80% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is photographer a high-paying job in Bend?
Local pay is 48% above the national median — $66K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Bend compare to the national average for photographers?
Bend pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +48%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do photographers make in Bend, OR?
The median is $65,990 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,190, and experienced photographers can clear $87,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Bend?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,130/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,784/month, which eats 43.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a photographers salary go in Bend?
Bend has a Regional Price Parity of 103.61 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median photographers salary is worth about $63,691 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do photographers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.