Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for photographic process workers and processing machine operatorss 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
- New York$67,440
- California$55,580
- Washington$53,980
- Maryland$53,310
- Georgia$49,570
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Tennessee$30,940
- South Carolina$31,410
- Ohio$32,740
- Alabama$33,730
- Kentucky$37,710
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $67,440 | $57,760 | $32 | +46.4% | 400 |
| 2 | California | $55,580 | $47,320 | $27 | +20.7% | 740 |
| 3 | Washington | $53,980 | $46,280 | $26 | +17.2% | 80 |
| 4 | Maryland | $53,310 | $45,600 | $26 | +15.8% | 200 |
| 5 | Georgia | $49,570 | $34,790 | $24 | +7.6% | 50 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $47,910 | $46,480 | $23 | +4% | 60 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $46,450 | $38,400 | $22 | +0.9% | — |
| 8 | Virginia | $45,940 | $47,380 | $22 | -0.2% | 110 |
| 9 | Delaware | $43,940 | $42,220 | $21 | -4.6% | 30 |
| 10 | Illinois | $43,480 | $37,940 | $21 | -5.6% | — |
| 11 | New Jersey | $43,130 | $43,300 | $21 | -6.3% | 110 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $42,520 | $36,500 | $20 | -7.7% | 60 |
| 13 | Florida | $42,300 | $46,840 | $20 | -8.1% | 450 |
| 14 | Michigan | $41,960 | $38,610 | $20 | -8.9% | 150 |
| 15 | Oregon | $41,800 | $39,940 | $20 | -9.2% | 40 |
| 16 | Indiana | $41,710 | $37,670 | $20 | -9.4% | 240 |
| 17 | North Carolina | $41,580 | $35,580 | $20 | -9.7% | 320 |
| 18 | Texas | $41,300 | $35,950 | $20 | -10.3% | 160 |
| 19 | Iowa | $41,280 | $43,310 | $20 | -10.4% | 90 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $39,930 | $37,460 | $19 | -13.3% | 80 |
| 21 | Utah | $39,900 | $39,510 | $19 | -13.4% | 60 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $38,940 | $37,340 | $19 | -15.4% | 160 |
| 23 | Arizona | $38,360 | $36,650 | $18 | -16.7% | — |
| 24 | Missouri | $37,950 | $33,540 | $18 | -17.6% | 100 |
| 25 | Kentucky | $37,710 | $37,430 | $18 | -18.1% | 120 |
| 26 | Alabama | $33,730 | $29,850 | $16 | -26.8% | 40 |
| 27 | Ohio | $32,740 | $29,770 | $16 | -28.9% | 190 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $31,410 | $30,010 | $15 | -31.8% | 50 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $30,940 | $29,050 | $15 | -32.8% | 110 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 25 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,320 | $59,370 | 50 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $56,550 | $62,380 | — |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $54,400 | $58,940 | 130 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $52,000 | $62,500 | 390 |
| 5 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $50,740 | $50,080 | — |
| 6 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,450 | $56,850 | 280 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $46,810 | $54,070 | 40 |
| 8 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $44,560 | $51,870 | 120 |
| 9 | Jacksonville, FL | $43,490 | $42,400 | 40 |
| 10 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $43,240 | $50,380 | 60 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing photographic process workers and processing machine operatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $75,260 | $72,040 | 90 |
| 2 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $75,260 | $72,040 | 90 |
| 3 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $75,260 | $72,040 | 90 |
| 4 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $61,920 | $59,740 | 40 |
| 5 | Educational Services | $55,890 | $54,740 | 60 |
| 6 | Sector 61 - Educational Services | $55,890 | $54,740 | 60 |
| 7 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $55,190 | $57,390 | 60 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $54,600 | $58,480 | 140 |
| 9 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $52,890 | $59,380 | 70 |
| 10 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $50,980 | $53,070 | 40 |
| 11 | Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | $46,690 | $59,900 | 40 |
| 12 | Printing and Related Support Activities | $46,340 | $46,490 | 110 |
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 photographic process workers and processing machine operators make in the U.S.?
The median photographic process workers and processing machine operators salary in the United States is $40,610 per year (mean $46,050), and about 80% earn between $30,090 and $68,800.
How much do photographic process workers and processing machine operators make per hour?
Roughly $22 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $46,050 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays photographic process workers and processing machine operators the most?
New York has the highest average pay for photographic process workers and processing machine operators at $67,440 per year (median $57,760).
What is the job outlook for photographic process workers and processing machine operators?
Employment is projected to change -2.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 1,500 openings per year.