Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Delaware is $50,100/year ($24.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $51,379 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,448/month, about 44.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Delaware. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $50K get you in Delaware?
About photographers
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What this looks like in Delaware
Delaware sits well above the national pay line for photographers, local pay runs about 12% 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 $1,448/month, which is 43.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Delaware
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track photographers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Delaware numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Delaware?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,448/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for photographers in Delaware?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,979/month. At HUD’s $1,448/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Delaware?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $50K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Delaware compare to the national average for photographers?
Delaware pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do photographers make in Delaware?
The median is $50,100 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,980, and experienced photographers can clear $71,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Delaware?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,341/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,448/month, which eats 43.3% 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 Delaware?
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median photographers salary is worth about $51,379 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.