Photographers Salary
The median pay for a photographers in Sioux Falls, SD-MN is $45,760/year ($22/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.63), which stretches that salary to about $50,491 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,156/month, about 35.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Sioux Falls?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Sioux Falls’s Regional Price Parity (90.63). 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 Sioux Falls
Photographers pay in Sioux Falls tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $45K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,156/month, which is 35.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.63 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for photographers in metros near Sioux Falls, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | $40K | $45K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $47K | $45K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $42K | $46K |
| Omaha | $45K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Sioux Falls, SD-MN
Entry-level photographers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $26K 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 Sioux Falls numbers change.
Related careers in Arts & Media
Frequently asked questions
Can a photographer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Sioux Falls?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 35.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,156/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 Sioux Falls?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new photographers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,988/month. At HUD’s $1,156/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Sioux Falls?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $45K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Sioux Falls compare to the national average for photographers?
Sioux Falls pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $45K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do photographers make in Sioux Falls, SD-MN?
The median is $45,760 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,140, and experienced photographers can clear $58,730. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Sioux Falls?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,234/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,156/month, which eats 35.7% 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 Sioux Falls?
Sioux Falls has a Regional Price Parity of 90.63 (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 $50,491 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.