2027 Salary Guide · Marketing & Creative
Salaried photographers earned a median of $44,660 a year, or $21.47 an hour, in May 2025, according to BLS. Carried forward to 2027, that is about $47,500. Those figures describe only about a third of the field: BLS says 67% of photographers are self-employed, and their earnings are not in the wage data.
Read this first
BLS wage figures come from its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, which collects pay from employers. It covers employees, not people who work for themselves. BLS says 67% of photographers are self-employed, so the $44,660 median describes the salaried minority.
Salaried photographers work in industries as different as portrait and commercial studios, retail, publishing and broadcasting, and arts and entertainment. The table below shows how far apart their pay is.
Self-employed photographers in wedding, portrait or commercial work set their own day and project rates. Those rates have to cover equipment, editing time, insurance and travel, so they are not comparable to an hourly wage.
By employer
BLS publishes median hourly wages for the industries that employ the most salaried photographers.
| Industry | Median hourly wage, May 2025 |
|---|---|
| Publishing, broadcasting and content providers | $30.04 |
| Photographic services (portrait and commercial studios) | $18.84 |
| Retail trade | $18.82 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | $18.47 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Photographers. The all-industry median is $21.47 an hour.
Pay distribution
BLS counts all photographers as one occupation, from school-portrait and studio staff to newspaper and commercial photographers. The shaded band is the middle half, $36,050 to $62,740.
Typical for the Photographer title: $36,050 to $62,740 (25th to 75th percentile of Photographers)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,820 | $33,000 |
| 25th percentile | $36,050 | $38,500 |
| Median | $44,660 | $47,500 |
| 75th percentile | $62,740 | $66,500 |
| 90th percentile | $91,810 | $97,500 |
Local pay
New York City has the highest median, $60,050, followed closely by Portland ($59,220) and the San Francisco Bay Area ($58,840). Los Angeles has the most salaried photographers, about 4,290, but a median of $47,840. Chicago, with about 1,590 jobs, ties Charlotte for the lowest median at $36,810.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | $60,050 +34% | $37,750 – $110,380 | 3,590 |
| Portland | $59,220 +33% | $37,380 – $111,030 | 350 |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $58,840 +32% | $41,250 – $119,280 | 880 |
| Boston | $55,020 +23% | $36,870 – $119,600 | 670 |
| Washington, DC | $54,530 +22% | $35,440 – $124,830 | 1,060 |
| Seattle | $51,790 +16% | $39,800 – $84,280 | 550 |
| Hartford | $51,410 +15% | $34,010 – $71,350 | 160 |
| Albany | $50,940 +14% | $35,620 – $79,560 | 130 |
| Providence | $50,060 +12% | $34,600 – $78,430 | 240 |
| Miami | $49,980 +12% | $33,470 – $93,120 | 1,470 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $48,670 +9% | $23,940 – $104,580 | 930 |
| Los Angeles | $47,840 +7% | $36,460 – $133,090 | 4,290 |
| Denver | $47,340 +6% | $37,950 – $97,810 | 620 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $46,960 +5% | $41,220 – $87,500 | 520 |
| Baltimore | $46,170 +3% | $31,200 – $86,930 | 480 |
| Tampa | $44,530 +-0% | $29,360 – $85,660 | 450 |
| Nashville | $44,480 +-0% | $31,170 – $72,060 | 240 |
| San Diego | $44,030 -1% | $36,670 – $74,500 | 620 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $43,970 -2% | $26,150 – $64,220 | 1,480 |
| Philadelphia | $43,750 -2% | $33,810 – $80,670 | 950 |
| Pittsburgh | $42,530 -5% | $25,230 – $75,340 | 290 |
| Houston | $41,280 -8% | $29,360 – $62,890 | 800 |
| Raleigh | $41,130 -8% | $28,280 – $80,230 | 300 |
| Buffalo | $39,190 -12% | $35,640 – $77,340 | 140 |
| Austin | $38,970 -13% | $18,450 – $64,480 | 540 |
| Phoenix | $36,970 -17% | $33,830 – $84,130 | 1,140 |
| Chicago | $36,810 -18% | $31,200 – $100,080 | 1,590 |
| Charlotte | $36,810 -18% | $32,240 – $80,560 | 690 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
What moves pay
The occupation's 75th percentile is $62,740 and the 90th $91,810. These are the usual routes into that upper range.
Publishing, broadcasting and content companies pay a $30.04 hourly median, well above studios and retail.
O*NET lists Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and After Effects among photographers' tools. Photographers who also edit video or lay out pages can be hired for broader content roles.
BLS notes that photographers who fly drones commercially need certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. It opens real estate, construction and aerial work.
Medians run from $36,810 in Chicago and Charlotte to $60,050 in New York City, a gap of about $23,000.
Outlook
BLS projects employment to slip from about 145,000 in 2025 to about 144,000 in 2035, citing better smartphone cameras and AI-generated images replacing some stock work. It still expects about 10,700 openings a year, and it projects self-employed photographer employment to grow.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Photographers as a whole.
Compare
Video producers earn about $46,000 more at the median than photographers, and graphic designers about $18,000 more. Adding video or design work is a common way photographers widen their options.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographer | $44,660 | $47,500 | Decline |
| Video Producer | $90,360 | $96,000 | Average |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 | $67,000 | Decline |
| Art Director | $114,850 | $122,000 | Average |
FAQ
BLS puts the median for salaried photographers at $44,660 as of May 2025. The middle half earned between $36,050 and $62,740, and the top tenth more than $91,810. At 3.1% annual wage growth, that is a 2027 median of about $47,500. Self-employed photographers, 67% of the field, are not included.
The BLS median for employed photographers was $21.47 an hour in May 2025, with $14.82 at the 10th percentile and $44.14 at the 90th. Staff photographers at publishing and media companies had a $30.04 median. Freelance session and day rates are not measured by BLS.
No BLS figure covers a photographer's first paycheck. The 10th percentile, $30,820, and 25th, $36,050, are the closest markers for a first salaried job. Photographic studios and retail employers, two of the industries BLS reports for photographers, have hourly medians under $19. In New York City, where the median is $60,050, entry offers are typically higher.
A degree is optional. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education, though many photographers take classes or earn a certificate or degree. O*NET places the occupation in Job Zone Three. A portfolio matters more than the credential to most clients and employers. Commercial drone work requires FAA certification.
It depends on the route. Salaried jobs pay a modest median of $44,660, and BLS projects a slight decline in total employment through 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year. BLS expects self-employed photography to keep growing, so many photographers build their own business.
Careerscape's creative recruiters check portfolios and specialties before you interview, for temporary, contract or direct-hire photography roles.
How can we help?
We got it!
A recruiter will reach out shortly.
Application Submitted!
Thank you for applying. We'll review your application and get back to you soon.