Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is $47,840/year ($23/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $133K for experienced workers. Note: the mean (average) wage is $74K, significantly higher than the median. This typically reflects a mix of employment settings including academic and private practice positions. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $42,124 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 78.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Photographers pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 79.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for photographers in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $59K | $51K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $44K | $39K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $44K | $41K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $46K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $133K or more, a $97K 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 79.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,188/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 119% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for photographers?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do photographers make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $47,840 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,460, and experienced photographers can clear $133,090. The mean (average) is $73,520, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,276/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 79.4% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (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 $42,124 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.