Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Lancaster, PA is $37,600/year ($18.08/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.26), that's roughly $38,266 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,526/month, about 58.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Lancaster?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lancaster’s Regional Price Parity (98.26). 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 Lancaster
Pay for photographers in Lancaster runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $45K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,526/month, which is 58.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.26) 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 Lancaster, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chambersburg | $27K | $28K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $44K | $43K |
| Pittsburgh | $43K | $45K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $35K | $35K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lancaster, PA
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $28K 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 Lancaster numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lancaster?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 58.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,526/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for photographers in Lancaster?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,982/month. At HUD’s $1,526/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 Lancaster?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $38K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Lancaster compare to the national average for photographers?
Lancaster pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.26), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do photographers make in Lancaster, PA?
The median is $37,600 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,030, and experienced photographers can clear $60,770. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Lancaster?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,591/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,526/month, which eats 58.9% 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 Lancaster?
Lancaster has a Regional Price Parity of 98.26 (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 $38,266 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.