Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN is $50,000/year ($24.04/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.07), which stretches that salary to about $53,723 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 37.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Louisville/Jefferson County?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Louisville/Jefferson County’s Regional Price Parity (93.07). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Louisville/Jefferson County
Louisville/Jefferson County 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 $1,272/month, which is 38% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.07 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for photographers in metros near Louisville/Jefferson County, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette | $47K | $51K |
| Bowling Green | $43K | $47K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $37K | $36K |
| St. Louis | $39K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $49K 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 Louisville/Jefferson County numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisville/Jefferson County?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 38% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,679/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $50K here vs. $45K nationally.
How does Louisville/Jefferson County compare to the national average for photographers?
Louisville/Jefferson County pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do photographers make in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN?
The median is $50,000 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,980, and experienced photographers can clear $76,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Louisville/Jefferson County?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,351/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 38% 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 Louisville/Jefferson County?
Louisville/Jefferson County has a Regional Price Parity of 93.07 (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 $53,723 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.