Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Kingston, NY is $42,960/year ($20.65/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.71), that's roughly $42,657 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,818/month, about 61.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Kingston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kingston’s Regional Price Parity (100.71). 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 Kingston
Photographers pay in Kingston tracks closely to the national median, $43K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,818/month, which is 62.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.71) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for photographers in metros near Kingston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $60K | $53K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $58K | $53K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $39K | $41K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $51K | $51K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kingston, NY
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $46K 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 |
| New Jersey | $41K | -9% | 1,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | -9% | 1,870 |
| 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
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 Kingston numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kingston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 62.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,818/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for photographers in Kingston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,097/month. At HUD’s $1,818/month FMR, rent would take 87% 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 Kingston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $43K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Kingston compare to the national average for photographers?
Kingston pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do photographers make in Kingston, NY?
The median is $42,960 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,950, and experienced photographers can clear $80,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Kingston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,900/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,818/month, which eats 62.7% 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 Kingston?
Kingston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.71 (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 $42,657 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.