Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is $59,220/year ($28.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $111K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $56,175 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 49.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for photographers, local pay runs about 33% 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 $1,922/month, which is 51.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for photographers in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bend | $66K | $64K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $48K | $42K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $59K | $51K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $37K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $111K or more, a $74K 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 51.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for photographers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,243/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 86% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 33% above the national median — $59K here vs. $45K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for photographers?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do photographers make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $59,220 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,380, and experienced photographers can clear $111,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,747/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 51.3% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 $56,175 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.