SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject’s appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists. Excludes “Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film” (27-4031).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 27-4021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $30,820 | $2,568 | $593 | $14.82 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,050 | $3,004 | $693 | $17.33 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $44,660 | $3,722 | $859 | $21.47 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $62,740 | $5,228 | $1,207 | $30.16 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $91,810 | $7,651 | $1,766 | $44.14 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Photographers is $44,660, which is 12% lower. Among the 41 occupations of the field Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media, it ranks number 37 by median pay. With 51,760 jobs, it makes up about 3.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($55,410) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Photographers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($110,970), New York ($60,050) and Massachusetts ($57,990). The lowest was in Arkansas ($32,810), Idaho ($33,320) and Puerto Rico ($34,060). The most jobs were in California (7,980), Florida (4,390) and Texas (4,330). The occupation is most concentrated in Hawaii, where its share of all jobs is 2.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 260 | $110,970 | $104,630 | $53.35 |
| New York | 3,650 | $60,050 | $71,710 | $28.87 |
| Massachusetts | 830 | $57,990 | $71,300 | $27.88 |
| Oregon | 510 | $53,630 | $69,290 | $25.78 |
| Utah | 660 | $52,140 | $51,290 | $25.07 |
| Delaware | 180 | $50,100 | $51,040 | $24.09 |
| Connecticut | 630 | $49,790 | $57,250 | $23.94 |
| New Mexico | 230 | $48,090 | $58,220 | $23.12 |
| Washington | 960 | $48,050 | $56,270 | $23.10 |
| California | 7,980 | $47,840 | $70,040 | $23.00 |
| Kentucky | 380 | $47,170 | $49,990 | $22.68 |
| Colorado | 1,140 | $47,070 | $58,170 | $22.63 |
| Maine | 180 | $46,680 | $52,320 | $22.44 |
| Virginia | 1,580 | $46,550 | $52,640 | $22.38 |
| Minnesota | 730 | $46,470 | $56,220 | $22.34 |
| Maryland | 790 | $46,450 | $57,560 | $22.33 |
| Hawaii | 440 | $45,960 | $57,030 | $22.10 |
| Mississippi | 190 | $45,860 | $45,970 | $22.05 |
| South Dakota | 190 | $45,330 | $43,740 | $21.79 |
| New Hampshire | 220 | $44,780 | $49,740 | $21.53 |
| Georgia | 1,420 | $43,770 | $57,260 | $21.04 |
| Florida | 4,390 | $42,640 | $52,130 | $20.50 |
| Wisconsin | 850 | $42,060 | $49,640 | $20.22 |
| Nebraska | 220 | $41,920 | $47,070 | $20.15 |
| Texas | 4,330 | $41,280 | $43,720 | $19.85 |
| New Jersey | 1,460 | $40,520 | $53,410 | $19.48 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,870 | $40,520 | $49,190 | $19.48 |
| Montana | 190 | $39,900 | $49,120 | $19.18 |
| Wyoming | 50 | $39,330 | $44,960 | $18.91 |
| Alaska | 50 | $39,190 | $50,090 | $18.84 |
| Missouri | 950 | $39,170 | $47,380 | $18.83 |
| Ohio | 1,540 | $38,470 | $46,780 | $18.50 |
| Iowa | 430 | $38,290 | $42,860 | $18.41 |
| Tennessee | 780 | $37,950 | $44,060 | $18.25 |
| South Carolina | 630 | $37,890 | $44,380 | $18.22 |
| Kansas | 300 | $37,790 | $44,120 | $18.17 |
| Nevada | 890 | $37,460 | $41,360 | $18.01 |
| North Dakota | 70 | $37,410 | $45,730 | $17.99 |
| Rhode Island | 220 | $37,300 | $49,440 | $17.93 |
| North Carolina | 2,130 | $37,120 | $47,540 | $17.84 |
| Arizona | 1,360 | $36,970 | $47,330 | $17.77 |
| Louisiana | 510 | $36,830 | $43,530 | $17.71 |
| Oklahoma | 330 | $36,750 | $40,300 | $17.67 |
| Illinois | 2,150 | $36,570 | $50,600 | $17.58 |
| Alabama | 530 | $36,130 | $43,480 | $17.37 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $36,110 | $41,220 | $17.36 |
| Indiana | 810 | $35,960 | $40,650 | $17.29 |
| Puerto Rico | 90 | $34,060 | $35,150 | $16.37 |
| Idaho | 190 | $33,320 | $37,950 | $16.02 |
| Arkansas | 240 | $32,810 | $34,700 | $15.78 |
| Michigan | 970 | not published | not published | not published |
| Vermont | 60 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Coaches and Scouts$47,320 a year
- Craft Artists$46,080 a year
- Disc Jockeys, Except Radio$21.61 an hour
- Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials$40,710 a year
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$39,390 a year
- Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other$18.82 an hour
Common questions
How much do Photographers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $44,660 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $30,820 and the highest-paid 10% more than $91,810.
How many people work as Photographers?
About 51,760 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
More in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Pay converter