Photographers Salary: $42,520 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 51,230 photographers work nationally, and $42,520 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 10% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.9% annual growth.
Photographers: what the data shows
Common questions about photographers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a photographers?
Photographers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 27-4021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 51,230 workers.
What does a photographers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Selling or Influencing Others, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a photographers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $42,520 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $78,302 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,722 |
| 25th percentile | $39,423 |
| Median (50th) | $51,985 |
| 75th percentile | $87,567 |
| 90th percentile | $134,817 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Active Learning, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is photographers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 9.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 20.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 51,230.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do photographerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 51,230 | 18.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 50,350 | 17.9% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 29,270 | 10.4% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 29,270 | 10.4% |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 27,050 | 9.6% |
| Photographic Services | 26,920 | 9.6% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Photographers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic Designers | 214,260 | $61,300 |
| Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 3,320 | $50,280 |
| Floral Designers | 40,160 | $36,120 |
| Craft Artists | 4,370 | $38,480 |
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | 10,000 | $60,560 |
| Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | 7,220 | $38,140 |
| Commercial Divers | 3,430 | $61,130 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Photographers workforce.
Employment Over Time
51,230 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Photographers grew from 21,040 in 2009 to 28,220 in 2025 (34.1%).
Historical employment for Photographers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$42,520 Median pay (BLS national)
Photographers earn $42,520 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Photographers.
Salary distribution for Photographers.
Employment Growth Projections
1.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
30,931 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 9.6%
33,904 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 20.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Photographers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Photographers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Photographers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Photographers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Photographers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Photographers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 7,300 employees, $76,230 avg wage
- FL: 4,450 employees, $55,520 avg wage
- TX: 3,780 employees, $40,210 avg wage
- NY: 3,620 employees, $69,860 avg wage
- IL: 2,530 employees, $41,260 avg wage
- PA: 2,000 employees, $49,800 avg wage
- OH: 1,970 employees, $39,900 avg wage
- GA: 1,950 employees, $51,100 avg wage
- NC: 1,620 employees, $51,200 avg wage
- VA: 1,360 employees, $53,030 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Photographers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,690 employees, $71,850 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,550 employees, $83,790 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,970 employees, $42,740 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 1,410 employees, $53,480 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,280 employees, $41,800 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 1,210 employees, $54,440 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,140 employees, $61,900 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 980 employees, $92,110 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 870 employees, $75,050 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 870 employees, $69,090 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Photographers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Photographers in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Photographers is about 51,230 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Photographers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Photographers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Photographers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Photographers in 2023 were Business Administration, Visual Arts, Photography.
Common majors for Photographers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Photographers workers.
Education level distribution for Photographers.
Skills
Photographers need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Active Learning, Monitoring.
Required skills for Photographers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Photographers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Photographers include Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Photographers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Photographers include Near Vision, Oral Expression, Visualization, Far Vision, Originality.
Required abilities for Photographers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Photographers.
Daily Activities
Photographers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Thinking Creatively, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Selling or Influencing Others.
Most important work activities for Photographers.
About
Photographers
Photographers earn $42,520 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
27-4021 - Photographers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Photographers reports an average salary of $78,302.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 51,230 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.