Photographers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for photographerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$104,630
- New York$71,710
- Massachusetts$71,300
- California$70,040
- Oregon$69,290
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$34,700
- Idaho$37,950
- Oklahoma$40,300
- Indiana$40,650
- West Virginia$41,220
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $104,630 | $110,970 | $50 | +88.8% | 260 |
| 2 | New York | $71,710 | $60,050 | $34 | +29.4% | 3,650 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $71,300 | $57,990 | $34 | +28.7% | 830 |
| 4 | California | $70,040 | $47,840 | $34 | +26.4% | 7,980 |
| 5 | Oregon | $69,290 | $53,630 | $33 | +25% | 510 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $58,220 | $48,090 | $28 | +5.1% | 230 |
| 7 | Colorado | $58,170 | $47,070 | $28 | +5% | 1,140 |
| 8 | Maryland | $57,560 | $46,450 | $28 | +3.9% | 790 |
| 9 | Georgia | $57,260 | $43,770 | $28 | +3.3% | 1,420 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $57,250 | $49,790 | $28 | +3.3% | 630 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $57,030 | $45,960 | $27 | +2.9% | 440 |
| 12 | Washington | $56,270 | $48,050 | $27 | +1.6% | 960 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $56,220 | $46,470 | $27 | +1.5% | 730 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $53,410 | $40,520 | $26 | -3.6% | 1,460 |
| 15 | Virginia | $52,640 | $46,550 | $25 | -5% | 1,580 |
| 16 | Maine | $52,320 | $46,680 | $25 | -5.6% | 180 |
| 17 | Florida | $52,130 | $42,640 | $25 | -5.9% | 4,390 |
| 18 | Utah | $51,290 | $52,140 | $25 | -7.4% | 660 |
| 19 | Delaware | $51,040 | $50,100 | $25 | -7.9% | 180 |
| 20 | Illinois | $50,600 | $36,570 | $24 | -8.7% | 2,150 |
| 21 | Alaska | $50,090 | $39,190 | $24 | -9.6% | 50 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $49,990 | $47,170 | $24 | -9.8% | 380 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $49,740 | $44,780 | $24 | -10.2% | 220 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $49,640 | $42,060 | $24 | -10.4% | 850 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $49,440 | $37,300 | $24 | -10.8% | 220 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $49,190 | $40,520 | $24 | -11.2% | 1,870 |
| 27 | Montana | $49,120 | $39,900 | $24 | -11.4% | 190 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $47,540 | $37,120 | $23 | -14.2% | 2,130 |
| 29 | Missouri | $47,380 | $39,170 | $23 | -14.5% | 950 |
| 30 | Arizona | $47,330 | $36,970 | $23 | -14.6% | 1,360 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $47,070 | $41,920 | $23 | -15.1% | 220 |
| 32 | Ohio | $46,780 | $38,470 | $22 | -15.6% | 1,540 |
| 33 | Mississippi | $45,970 | $45,860 | $22 | -17% | 190 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $45,730 | $37,410 | $22 | -17.5% | 70 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $44,960 | $39,330 | $22 | -18.9% | 50 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $44,380 | $37,890 | $21 | -19.9% | 630 |
| 37 | Kansas | $44,120 | $37,790 | $21 | -20.4% | 300 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $44,060 | $37,950 | $21 | -20.5% | 780 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $43,740 | $45,330 | $21 | -21.1% | 190 |
| 40 | Texas | $43,720 | $41,280 | $21 | -21.1% | 4,330 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $43,530 | $36,830 | $21 | -21.4% | 510 |
| 42 | Alabama | $43,480 | $36,130 | $21 | -21.5% | 530 |
| 43 | Iowa | $42,860 | $38,290 | $21 | -22.6% | 430 |
| 44 | Nevada | $41,360 | $37,460 | $20 | -25.4% | 890 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $41,220 | $36,110 | $20 | -25.6% | 110 |
| 46 | Indiana | $40,650 | $35,960 | $20 | -26.6% | 810 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $40,300 | $36,750 | $19 | -27.3% | 330 |
| 48 | Idaho | $37,950 | $33,320 | $18 | -31.5% | 190 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $34,700 | $32,810 | $17 | -37.4% | 240 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 207 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bend, OR | $65,990 | $67,290 | 30 |
| 2 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $62,550 | $68,280 | 70 |
| 3 | Wasatch Front Fringe Utah nonmetropolitan area | $60,940 | $55,960 | 40 |
| 4 | Boulder, CO | $60,930 | $66,690 | 60 |
| 5 | Springfield, MA | $60,430 | $62,870 | 40 |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $60,050 | $71,860 | 3,590 |
| 7 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $60,000 | $55,930 | 280 |
| 8 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $59,220 | $72,020 | 350 |
| 9 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $58,840 | $83,790 | 880 |
| 10 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $58,050 | $69,900 | 150 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing photographerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $138,830 | $118,290 | — |
| 2 | Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $120,470 | $112,500 | 1,300 |
| 3 | Motion Picture and Video Industries | $120,470 | $112,500 | 1,300 |
| 4 | Temporary Help Services | $94,800 | $107,500 | 190 |
| 5 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $88,270 | $96,690 | 40 |
| 6 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $88,270 | $96,690 | 40 |
| 7 | Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services | $85,100 | $95,740 | 30 |
| 8 | Food Services and Drinking Places | $83,200 | $82,230 | 110 |
| 9 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $78,960 | $72,560 | 70 |
| 10 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $78,490 | $71,610 | 100 |
| 11 | Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $76,100 | $82,480 | 90 |
| 12 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $75,420 | $80,220 | 600 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do photographers make in the U.S.?
The median photographers salary in the United States is $44,660 per year (mean $55,410), and about 80% earn between $30,820 and $91,810.
How much do photographers make per hour?
Roughly $27 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $55,410 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays photographers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for photographers at $104,630 per year (median $110,970).
What is the job outlook for photographers?
Employment is projected to change +1.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 12,700 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.