Average photographer salary
$16.33
$33,968 yearly
Entry-level photographer salary
$22,000 yearly salary
Updated April 25, 2024
How much does a photographer make?
The average photographer salary in the United States is $33,968. Photographer salaries typically range between $22,000 and $52,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for photographers is $16.33 per hour. Photographer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Photographers earn the highest average salary in New York.
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Where can a Photographer earn more?
Compare salary by location
Vs
78k
58k
38k
18k
-2k
Ashburn, VA$57,095
Indianapolis, IN$28,248
Compare salary by company
89k
69k
49k
29k
9k
Jacobs Engineering Group$76,239
Savannah College of Art and Design$38,609
Photographer salary estimates from across the web
Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert and Comparably, the average salary for a photographer typically falls between $33,968 and $66,618.
Average photographer salary by state
The highest-paying states for photographers are New York, Minnesota, and Connecticut. The lowest average photographer salary states are Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Iowa.
- State View
- County View
Average Salary:
Highest paying states for photographers
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $56,937 | $27.37 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $40,485 | $19.46 |
| 3 | Utah | $37,038 | $17.81 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $37,194 | $17.88 |
| 5 | Alaska | $38,626 | $18.57 |
| 6 | California | $37,556 | $18.06 |
| 7 | Vermont | $39,517 | $19.00 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $41,165 | $19.79 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $40,028 | $19.24 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $36,732 | $17.66 |
| 11 | Illinois | $36,527 | $17.56 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $34,197 | $16.44 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $36,454 | $17.53 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $37,373 | $17.97 |
| 15 | Washington | $35,531 | $17.08 |
| 16 | Arkansas | $30,689 | $14.75 |
| 17 | Colorado | $33,620 | $16.16 |
| 18 | Maine | $35,707 | $17.17 |
| 19 | Virginia | $32,992 | $15.86 |
| 20 | Idaho | $33,964 | $16.33 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $31,347 | $15.07 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $31,215 | $15.01 |
| 23 | Maryland | $34,183 | $16.43 |
| 24 | Michigan | $29,665 | $14.26 |
| 25 | Oregon | $31,503 | $15.15 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $29,272 | $14.07 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $35,083 | $16.87 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $33,152 | $15.94 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $32,091 | $15.43 |
| 30 | Montana | $32,409 | $15.58 |
| 31 | Texas | $29,945 | $14.40 |
| 32 | Alabama | $28,890 | $13.89 |
| 33 | Ohio | $29,277 | $14.08 |
| 34 | Kansas | $31,320 | $15.06 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $31,570 | $15.18 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $27,759 | $13.35 |
| 37 | Georgia | $28,568 | $13.73 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $24,311 | $11.69 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $24,410 | $11.74 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $26,034 | $12.52 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $24,762 | $11.90 |
| 42 | Florida | $22,984 | $11.05 |
| 43 | Indiana | $28,666 | $13.78 |
| 44 | Arizona | $26,348 | $12.67 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $26,692 | $12.83 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $25,710 | $12.36 |
| 47 | Missouri | $22,485 | $10.81 |
| 48 | Iowa | $23,207 | $11.16 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $24,964 | $12.00 |
| 50 | Delaware | $25,359 | $12.19 |
| 51 | Nevada | $20,532 | $9.87 |
Top photographer jobs near you
Highest paying cities for photographers
The highest-paying cities for photographers are New York, NY, Minneapolis, MN, and Sacramento, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $57,095 | $27.45 |
| 2 | Minneapolis, MN | $41,120 | $19.77 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | $40,255 | $19.35 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $39,883 | $19.17 |
| 5 | Salt Lake City, UT | $37,127 | $17.85 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $36,900 | $17.74 |
| 7 | Springfield, VA | $35,747 | $17.19 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $35,717 | $17.17 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $34,461 | $16.57 |
| 10 | Milwaukee, WI | $34,270 | $16.48 |
| 11 | Denver, CO | $33,705 | $16.20 |
| 12 | Kansas City, KS | $31,643 | $15.21 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $31,393 | $15.09 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $31,388 | $15.09 |
| 15 | Dallas, TX | $30,157 | $14.50 |
| 16 | Detroit, MI | $29,837 | $14.34 |
| 17 | Birmingham, AL | $29,059 | $13.97 |
| 18 | Chattanooga, TN | $28,956 | $13.92 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $28,751 | $13.82 |
| 20 | Indianapolis, IN | $28,248 | $13.58 |
Photographers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Photographer salary details
A photographer's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $52,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a photographer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| Average | $33,968 | $2,831 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying photographer jobs
The highest paying types of photographers are executive producer, producer, and photography internship.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Visual Technician | $43,529 | $3,627 | $20.93 | 15,387 |
| Camera Operator | $43,609 | $3,634 | $20.97 | 26,006 |
| Freelance Video Editor | $54,795 | $4,566 | $26.34 | 5,910 |
| Freelance Producer | $62,218 | $5,185 | $29.91 | 9,703 |
| Video Production Internship | $33,585 | $2,799 | $16.15 | 105,041 |
| Video Producer | $58,612 | $4,884 | $28.18 | 10,484 |
Top companies hiring photographers now:
Which companies pay photographers the most?
Photographer salaries at Jacobs Engineering Group and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average photographer salary at companies like Mayo Clinic and Sinclair Broadcast Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $76,239 | $36.65 |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $60,495 | $29.08 |
| 3 | Mayo Clinic | $55,935 | $26.89 |
| 4 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | $51,054 | $24.55 |
| 5 | Uline | $50,495 | $24.28 |
| 6 | New York State Restaurant Association | $47,771 | $22.97 |
| 7 | NBCUniversal | $47,637 | $22.90 |
| 8 | Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. | $46,787 | $22.49 |
| 9 | Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation | $45,774 | $22.01 |
| 10 | Lifeway Kefir | $43,937 | $21.12 |
| 11 | State of Connecticut | $43,928 | $21.12 |
| 12 | Fashion Nova | $43,032 | $20.69 |
| 13 | Quad | $42,496 | $20.43 |
| 14 | Pacific Architects and Engineers | $40,850 | $19.64 |
| 15 | TEGNA | $40,654 | $19.55 |
| 16 | University of Houston | $40,077 | $19.27 |
| 17 | Messiah College | $40,032 | $19.25 |
| 18 | Fox News | $39,981 | $19.22 |
| 19 | The Walt Disney Company | $39,926 | $19.20 |
| 20 | Savannah College of Art and Design | $38,609 | $18.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
$36,000$35,200$34,400$33,600$32,800$32,000
MaleFemale
Photographer salary by industry
The average photographer salary varies across industries:
- The average photographer salary in the professional industry is $35,564, the highest of any industry.
- The average photographer salary in the finance industry is $34,426.
- Photographers in the retail industry earn an average salary of $32,723, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for photographers
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $35,564 | $17.10 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $34,426 | $16.55 |
| 3 | Media | $34,195 | $16.44 |
| 4 | Retail | $32,723 | $15.73 |
High Paying Photographer Jobs
Photographer salary trends
The average photographer salary has risen by $10,220 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average photographer earned $23,748 annually, but today, they earn $33,968 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for photographers over the last decade.
Compare photographer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average photographer salary over time
Compare photographer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Photographer salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $34,000 | $16.33 | +12.1% |
| 2023 | $29,900 | $14.35 | +6.3% |
| 2022 | $28,000 | $13.45 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | $26,700 | $12.85 | -4.9% |
| 2020 | $28,000 | $13.48 | +6.9% |
Show more
Recently added photographer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seaworld Parks | Photographer (Seasonal | San Diego, CA | 07/01/2023 | $32,349 |
| University of Oregon | Photographer/Videographer | Eugene, OR | 07/01/2023 | $36,376 |
| Teddy Bear Portraits | Photographer | Raleigh, NC | 07/01/2023 | $41,740 |
| Teddy Bear Portraits | Photographer | Clarksville, TN | 07/01/2023 | $41,740 |
| Teddy Bear Portraits | Photographer | Birmingham, AL | 07/01/2023 | $41,740 |
| Teddy Bear Portraits | Photographer | Bowling Green, KY | 07/01/2023 | $41,740 |
| Shutterfly, Inc. | Preschool Photographer | Des Moines, IA | 06/30/2023 | $35,479 |
| Shutterfly, Inc. | Preschool Photographer | Memphis, TN | 06/30/2023 | $31,305 |
| Shutterfly, Inc. | Preschool Photographer | Omaha, NE | 06/30/2023 | $37,566 |
| Shutterfly, Inc. | Preschool Photographer | Little Rock, AR | 06/30/2023 | $31,305 |
Show more
Photographer salary FAQs
What state pays Photographers the most?
How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a Photographer?
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See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.Search for photographer jobs
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Updated April 25, 2024
