Photographers Wages
SOC 27-4021 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Photographers is $40,760 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $28,510 and the 90th percentile is $95,740, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
53,630
P10
$28,510
P25
$32,240
Median
$40,760
P75
$62,480
P90
$95,740
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Photographers have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $40,760 | $53,380 | $28,510 | $95,740 | 53,630 | — |
| 2022 | $40,170 | $50,210 | $26,990 | $82,450 | 47,380 | -1.45% |
| 2021 | $38,950 | $48,210 | $24,540 | $77,760 | 38,420 | -3.04% |
| 2020 | $41,280 | $50,290 | $22,410 | $86,850 | 41,600 | +5.98% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Photographers. The highest median is in District of Columbia at $77,730, 91% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $77,730 | +90.7% | $88,540 | 250 |
| California | $64,740 | +58.8% | $75,510 | 8,100 |
| Idaho | $62,380 | +53% | $65,920 | — |
| New York | $60,840 | +49.3% | $81,130 | 4,050 |
| Connecticut | $52,340 | +28.4% | $55,980 | 460 |
| Vermont | $50,800 | +24.6% | $77,780 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $49,980 | +22.6% | $57,440 | 1,480 |
| Massachusetts | $49,550 | +21.6% | $57,460 | 1,060 |
| New Hampshire | $49,400 | +21.2% | $57,990 | 150 |
| Louisiana | $48,590 | +19.2% | $50,360 | 280 |
| Rhode Island | $48,580 | +19.2% | $68,500 | 150 |
| Utah | $46,800 | +14.8% | $51,850 | 950 |
| Wyoming | $46,130 | +13.2% | $43,880 | 80 |
| Hawaii | $46,070 | +13% | $67,600 | 480 |
| Washington | $45,820 | +12.4% | $52,010 | 1,190 |
| Virginia | $45,670 | +12% | $47,160 | 1,220 |
| Oregon | $45,420 | +11.4% | $52,530 | 470 |
| Maine | $44,910 | +10.2% | $48,220 | 190 |
| Delaware | $44,320 | +8.7% | $45,800 | 140 |
| Michigan | $44,270 | +8.6% | $49,980 | 960 |
| Colorado | $43,980 | +7.9% | $55,030 | 1,240 |
| Alaska | $43,500 | +6.7% | $44,310 | 40 |
| Georgia | $42,540 | +4.4% | $55,160 | 1,620 |
| Nevada | $40,300 | -1.1% | $44,740 | 840 |
| New Mexico | $39,690 | -2.6% | $57,380 | 230 |
| Missouri | $39,070 | -4.1% | $46,750 | 870 |
| Indiana | $38,160 | -6.4% | $44,080 | 980 |
| North Carolina | $37,730 | -7.4% | $51,200 | 1,770 |
| Arizona | $37,480 | -8% | $45,550 | 1,130 |
| Maryland | $37,450 | -8.1% | $46,970 | 1,020 |
| Mississippi | $37,340 | -8.4% | $41,750 | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $37,270 | -8.6% | $41,910 | 440 |
| Kentucky | $37,000 | -9.2% | $37,090 | 340 |
| Wisconsin | $36,520 | -10.4% | $44,130 | 990 |
| South Dakota | $36,130 | -11.4% | $38,050 | 100 |
| Iowa | $36,040 | -11.6% | $40,130 | 470 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,020 | -11.6% | $42,370 | 2,100 |
| Ohio | $36,000 | -11.7% | $39,660 | 1,440 |
| Illinois | $35,840 | -12.1% | $44,050 | 2,420 |
| Florida | $35,740 | -12.3% | $44,090 | 4,150 |
| Tennessee | $34,080 | -16.4% | $40,460 | 1,150 |
| Alabama | $33,610 | -17.5% | $38,840 | 470 |
| Kansas | $33,390 | -18.1% | $37,370 | 340 |
| Texas | $32,810 | -19.5% | $36,850 | 3,950 |
| Arkansas | $32,430 | -20.4% | $40,040 | 230 |
| Nebraska | $32,010 | -21.5% | $42,520 | 400 |
| West Virginia | $31,550 | -22.6% | $34,450 | 120 |
| Montana | $31,150 | -23.6% | $37,060 | 170 |
| North Dakota | $30,880 | -24.2% | $39,180 | 80 |
| South Carolina | $30,510 | -25.1% | $35,010 | 690 |
| Minnesota | — | — | — | 1,830 |