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).
National median · BLS
$44,660
▲ +5.03%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$55,410
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
51,760
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted)Loading…
Most jobsLoading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted)Loading…
Check your salary
Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Photographers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$30,820
25th
$36,050
Median (50th)
$44,660
75th
$62,740
90th — top pay
$91,810
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
Type in either box; the other updates instantly.
⇄
Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Photographers
BLS projects employment of photographers to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 10,700 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
145,000 → 144,000
-1,000 jobs
Projected change
-0.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
10,700
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
66.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What photographers do
Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Photographers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $44,660.
