Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $36,670/year ($17.63/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $37,583 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 67.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for photographers in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 18% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 68.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for photographerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for photographers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $37K | $38K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $41K | $42K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $45K | $48K |
| Asheville | $35K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $40K 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 Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 68.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for photographers in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,892/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 90% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 18% below the national median — $37K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for photographers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do photographers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $36,670 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,540, and experienced photographers can clear $71,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,488/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 68.8% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 $37,583 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.