175 metro areas
Photographer Salary by City (2026)
Photographers earn the most in San Francisco, CA, an average of $83,780 a year, against $55,410 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in San Francisco, CA ($72,470 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $55,410BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $83,780San Francisco, CA
- Best after cost of living
- $72,470San Francisco, CA
- Metro areas
- 175With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for photographers
Top 10 metro areas
- San Francisco, CA$83,780
- San Jose, CA$75,500
- Los Angeles, CA$73,530
- Santa Rosa, CA$72,260
- Santa Maria, CA$72,200
- Portland, OR-WA$72,030
- New York, NY-NJ$71,860
- Boston, MA-NH$70,820
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$70,220
- Kiryas Joel, NY$69,910
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $83,780 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $75,500 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $73,530 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $72,260 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $72,200 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $72,030 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $71,860 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $70,820 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $70,220 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $69,910 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- San Francisco, CA$83,780 nominal$72,470
- San Jose, CA$75,500 nominal$68,370
- Portland, OR-WA$72,030 nominal$68,330
- Fort Collins, CO$68,290 nominal$67,530
- Santa Rosa, CA$72,260 nominal$67,040
- Santa Maria, CA$72,200 nominal$66,360
- Springfield, MA$62,880 nominal$65,460
- Boston, MA-NH$70,820 nominal$65,410
- Bend, OR$67,290 nominal$64,950
- Los Angeles, CA$73,530 nominal$64,750
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $72,470 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $68,370 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $68,330 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $67,530 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $67,040 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $66,360 |
| Springfield, MA | $65,460 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $65,410 |
| Bend, OR | $64,950 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $64,750 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Photographer salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $83,780 | $43,580 | $103,600 | $72,470 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $75,500 | $40,930 | $92,520 | $68,370 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | $73,530 | $37,540 | $91,230 | $64,750 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa, CA | $72,260 | $37,840 | $89,210 | $67,040 |
| 5 | Santa Maria, CA | $72,200 | $40,100 | $88,000 | $66,360 |
| 6 | Portland, OR-WA | $72,030 | $39,540 | $88,000 | $68,330 |
| 7 | New York, NY-NJ | $71,860 | $39,560 | $87,760 | $63,840 |
| 8 | Boston, MA-NH | $70,820 | $37,810 | $87,090 | $65,410 |
| 9 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $70,220 | $38,380 | $85,900 | $64,490 |
| 10 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $69,910 | $37,440 | $85,880 | $63,890 |
| 11 | Kahului, HI | $68,990 | $33,630 | $86,400 | $63,070 |
| 12 | Fort Collins, CO | $68,290 | $38,770 | $82,830 | $67,530 |
| 13 | Bend, OR | $67,290 | $40,980 | $80,250 | $64,950 |
| 14 | Boulder, CO | $66,680 | $41,870 | $78,920 | $63,380 |
| 15 | Santa Fe, NM | $63,710 | $38,290 | $76,210 | $64,510 |
| 16 | Bridgeport, CT | $62,980 | $42,870 | $72,900 | $58,930 |
| 17 | Springfield, MA | $62,880 | $45,240 | $71,550 | $65,460 |
| 18 | Worcester, MA | $61,630 | $40,020 | $72,260 | $60,110 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $61,210 | $28,770 | $77,190 | $61,170 |
| 20 | Seattle, WA | $61,010 | $41,870 | $70,430 | $54,900 |
| 21 | San Diego, CA | $60,570 | $36,610 | $72,380 | $54,130 |
| 22 | Denver, CO | $59,430 | $38,850 | $69,560 | $56,180 |
| 23 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $59,300 | $36,920 | $70,350 | $54,610 |
| 24 | New Haven, CT | $58,740 | $39,480 | $68,220 | $56,180 |
| 25 | Miami, FL | $58,140 | $34,570 | $69,760 | $50,930 |
| 26 | Trenton, NJ | $57,930 | $35,840 | $68,810 | $56,140 |
| 27 | Lakeland, FL | $57,820 | $32,280 | $70,390 | $59,520 |
| 28 | Albuquerque, NM | $57,600 | $37,190 | $67,660 | $60,290 |
| 29 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $57,180 | $40,560 | $65,350 | $54,550 |
| 30 | Albany, NY | $56,970 | $37,420 | $66,600 | $57,220 |
| 31 | Savannah, GA | $56,910 | $24,020 | $73,110 | $59,780 |
| 32 | Oxnard, CA | $56,680 | $36,460 | $66,620 | $51,280 |
| 33 | Bakersfield, CA | $56,240 | $35,760 | $66,330 | $55,750 |
| 34 | Lansing, MI | $55,950 | $37,130 | $65,230 | $58,900 |
| 35 | Salt Lake City, UT | $55,930 | $32,090 | $67,680 | $55,450 |
| 36 | Atlantic City, NJ | $55,760 | $34,440 | $66,270 | $56,400 |
| 37 | Jacksonville, FL | $55,640 | $33,800 | $66,390 | $55,930 |
| 38 | Norwich, CT | $55,600 | $36,400 | $65,060 | $55,350 |
| 39 | Sacramento, CA | $55,600 | $37,150 | $64,690 | $52,120 |
| 40 | Charleston, SC | $55,560 | $34,820 | $65,790 | $55,030 |
| 41 | Bozeman, MT | $55,540 | $27,830 | $69,200 | $54,180 |
| 42 | Colorado Springs, CO | $55,540 | $35,920 | $65,190 | $55,150 |
| 43 | Naples, FL | $55,470 | $35,380 | $65,350 | $53,750 |
| 44 | Tampa, FL | $54,430 | $31,570 | $65,690 | $53,950 |
| 45 | Olympia, WA | $54,230 | $36,730 | $62,840 | $52,310 |
| 46 | Hartford, CT | $54,200 | $39,540 | $61,420 | $52,750 |
| 47 | Manchester, NH | $54,200 | $30,410 | $65,920 | $51,300 |
| 48 | La Crosse, WI-MN | $54,140 | $32,260 | $64,940 | $59,000 |
| 49 | Slidell, LA | $54,040 | $22,690 | $69,470 | $58,280 |
| 50 | Syracuse, NY | $53,830 | $37,380 | $61,920 | $56,220 |
| 51 | Baltimore, MD | $53,770 | $33,110 | $63,940 | $51,460 |
| 52 | Portland, ME | $53,680 | $34,300 | $63,250 | $52,700 |
| 53 | Richmond, VA | $53,500 | $34,050 | $63,090 | $54,670 |
| 54 | Montgomery, AL | $53,310 | $29,000 | $65,290 | $59,440 |
| 55 | Greeley, CO | $53,270 | $36,420 | $61,570 | $53,180 |
| 56 | Lexington, KY | $52,940 | $30,740 | $63,880 | $56,990 |
| 57 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $52,870 | $30,450 | $63,920 | $56,800 |
| 58 | Waterbury, CT | $52,620 | $36,980 | $60,320 | $52,740 |
| 59 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $52,500 | $34,030 | $61,590 | $51,190 |
| 60 | Providence, RI-MA | $52,420 | $34,880 | $61,030 | $51,510 |
| 61 | Billings, MT | $52,250 | $27,100 | $64,650 | $55,870 |
| 62 | Stockton, CA | $52,250 | $36,130 | $60,200 | $49,720 |
| 63 | Pittsburgh, PA | $52,190 | $29,270 | $63,480 | $55,130 |
| 64 | Modesto, CA | $52,150 | $36,800 | $59,700 | $50,090 |
| 65 | Chicago, IL-IN | $52,040 | $32,390 | $61,710 | $50,230 |
| 66 | Milwaukee, WI | $52,000 | $33,630 | $61,050 | $53,640 |
| 67 | Charlottesville, VA | $51,900 | $34,340 | $60,550 | $52,350 |
| 68 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $51,690 | $33,220 | $60,800 | $46,580 |
| 69 | Pensacola, FL | $51,460 | $30,700 | $61,670 | $52,660 |
| 70 | Kingston, NY | $51,420 | $36,230 | $58,910 | $51,060 |
| 71 | Springfield, MO | $51,250 | $34,470 | $59,510 | $57,850 |
| 72 | Raleigh, NC | $51,210 | $29,410 | $61,940 | $52,170 |
| 73 | Nashville, TN | $51,170 | $32,820 | $60,220 | $53,120 |
| 74 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $50,980 | $32,640 | $60,010 | $55,090 |
| 75 | Riverside, CA | $50,960 | $37,190 | $57,720 | $47,880 |
| 76 | Anchorage, AK | $50,920 | $34,760 | $58,880 | $48,300 |
| 77 | Reno, NV | $50,670 | $36,670 | $57,550 | $50,160 |
| 78 | Columbus, OH | $50,480 | $28,640 | $61,210 | $52,880 |
| 79 | Tucson, AZ | $50,400 | $31,760 | $59,590 | $52,010 |
| 80 | Panama City, FL | $50,380 | $29,930 | $60,470 | $51,780 |
| 81 | Rochester, NY | $50,340 | $34,550 | $58,120 | $51,880 |
| 82 | York, PA | $50,000 | $31,120 | $59,320 | $52,080 |
| 83 | Cape Coral, FL | $49,710 | $33,280 | $57,800 | $48,570 |
| 84 | Cleveland, OH | $49,650 | $30,200 | $59,220 | $52,860 |
| 85 | Vallejo, CA | $49,650 | $39,210 | $54,790 | $45,770 |
| 86 | Green Bay, WI | $49,440 | $32,340 | $57,870 | $53,110 |
| 87 | Greensboro, NC | $49,250 | $30,080 | $58,700 | $53,030 |
| 88 | Buffalo, NY | $49,230 | $35,880 | $55,810 | $51,360 |
| 89 | Greenville, SC | $49,150 | $30,180 | $58,510 | $52,700 |
| 90 | Akron, OH | $49,090 | $26,850 | $60,030 | $52,580 |
| 91 | Scranton, PA | $49,000 | $31,570 | $57,600 | $52,380 |
| 92 | Omaha, NE-IA | $48,940 | $30,010 | $58,260 | $53,250 |
| 93 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $48,820 | $32,680 | $56,780 | $51,340 |
| 94 | Hickory, NC | $48,800 | $30,930 | $57,620 | $55,150 |
| 95 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $48,240 | $31,820 | $56,310 | $49,550 |
| 96 | Birmingham, AL | $48,210 | $26,690 | $58,800 | $52,610 |
| 97 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $48,210 | $31,100 | $56,620 | $49,220 |
| 98 | Madison, WI | $48,170 | $34,240 | $55,040 | $49,510 |
| 99 | Davenport, IA-IL | $47,880 | $29,370 | $57,010 | $53,750 |
| 100 | Provo, UT | $47,670 | $27,000 | $57,870 | $48,530 |
| 101 | Jackson, MS | $47,530 | $30,560 | $55,890 | $53,380 |
| 102 | Canton, OH | $47,490 | $29,720 | $56,240 | $53,120 |
| 103 | Port St. Lucie, FL | $47,360 | $32,010 | $54,930 | $47,250 |
| 104 | Phoenix, AZ | $47,150 | $33,800 | $53,730 | $45,640 |
| 105 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $47,090 | $24,790 | $58,090 | $49,380 |
| 106 | Spokane, WA | $47,070 | $36,690 | $52,190 | $46,910 |
| 107 | Augusta, GA-SC | $47,050 | $28,910 | $55,970 | $51,200 |
| 108 | Waco, TX | $46,990 | $29,580 | $55,560 | $50,770 |
| 109 | Durham, NC | $46,860 | $31,180 | $54,580 | $48,030 |
| 110 | Crestview, FL | $46,800 | $31,570 | $54,310 | $48,230 |
| 111 | Winston, NC | $46,760 | $29,370 | $55,310 | $50,800 |
| 112 | Des Moines, IA | $46,490 | $23,940 | $57,600 | $50,700 |
| 113 | Baton Rouge, LA | $46,340 | $24,860 | $56,930 | $51,050 |
| 114 | Wilmington, NC | $46,280 | $26,170 | $56,180 | $48,000 |
| 115 | Fargo, ND-MN | $46,180 | $33,740 | $52,290 | $50,820 |
| 116 | Tallahassee, FL | $45,680 | $29,240 | $53,790 | $48,640 |
| 117 | Roanoke, VA | $45,610 | $31,030 | $52,810 | $48,720 |
| 118 | Palm Bay, FL | $45,510 | $32,240 | $52,040 | $45,510 |
| 119 | Dallas, TX | $45,470 | $30,350 | $52,940 | $44,110 |
| 120 | Orlando, FL | $45,430 | $29,680 | $53,160 | $44,790 |
| 121 | Kennewick, WA | $45,410 | $36,550 | $49,750 | $45,370 |
| 122 | Reading, PA | $45,390 | $31,870 | $52,040 | $46,760 |
| 123 | Fresno, CA | $45,320 | $35,090 | $50,360 | $44,360 |
| 124 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $45,300 | $34,220 | $50,770 | $49,980 |
| 125 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $45,180 | $29,000 | $53,140 | $49,010 |
| 126 | Houston, TX | $44,950 | $30,890 | $51,850 | $45,570 |
| 127 | Lincoln, NE | $44,740 | $28,290 | $52,830 | $48,850 |
| 128 | Ogden, UT | $44,680 | $29,000 | $52,420 | $44,520 |
| 129 | Ann Arbor, MI | $44,430 | $34,380 | $49,380 | $44,040 |
| 130 | Deltona, FL | $44,390 | $30,970 | $50,980 | $44,670 |
| 131 | Wichita, KS | $44,390 | $30,100 | $51,440 | $49,910 |
| 132 | Gainesville, FL | $44,200 | $30,930 | $50,730 | $45,690 |
| 133 | Lancaster, PA | $43,830 | $32,700 | $49,320 | $44,610 |
| 134 | Harrisburg, PA | $43,620 | $30,910 | $49,880 | $44,220 |
| 135 | Corpus Christi, TX | $43,530 | $31,160 | $49,630 | $46,970 |
| 136 | Knoxville, TN | $43,280 | $27,560 | $51,020 | $46,750 |
| 137 | Toledo, OH | $43,220 | $26,830 | $51,310 | $47,260 |
| 138 | Lubbock, TX | $43,200 | $30,760 | $49,340 | $47,310 |
| 139 | Dayton, OH | $43,100 | $26,730 | $51,170 | $46,500 |
| 140 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $43,080 | $31,470 | $48,780 | $43,090 |
| 141 | Bowling Green, KY | $43,080 | $26,420 | $51,290 | $47,770 |
| 142 | Oklahoma City, OK | $43,010 | $25,440 | $51,690 | $47,570 |
| 143 | San Antonio, TX | $42,330 | $30,370 | $48,210 | $44,690 |
| 144 | Lafayette, IN | $42,220 | $26,040 | $50,190 | $45,190 |
| 145 | Indianapolis, IN | $42,040 | $29,270 | $48,340 | $43,930 |
| 146 | Mobile, AL | $41,770 | $25,770 | $49,650 | $47,410 |
| 147 | Rapid City, SD | $41,750 | $33,180 | $45,970 | $46,830 |
| 148 | North Port, FL | $41,720 | $30,620 | $47,200 | $40,740 |
| 149 | Fort Wayne, IN | $41,640 | $28,750 | $48,010 | $44,980 |
| 150 | Austin, TX | $41,580 | $22,480 | $51,000 | $42,400 |
| 151 | Rockford, IL | $41,290 | $31,200 | $46,260 | $44,810 |
| 152 | Asheville, NC | $41,120 | $30,330 | $46,430 | $42,610 |
| 153 | Fayetteville, NC | $41,060 | $30,950 | $46,030 | $44,640 |
| 154 | Beaumont, TX | $40,980 | $27,330 | $47,720 | $45,510 |
| 155 | Peoria, IL | $40,870 | $31,240 | $45,640 | $44,800 |
| 156 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $40,410 | $23,860 | $48,570 | $45,420 |
| 157 | El Paso, TX | $40,410 | $28,720 | $46,160 | $44,940 |
| 158 | Flagstaff, AZ | $40,390 | $31,450 | $44,800 | $40,260 |
| 159 | Myrtle Beach, SC | $40,370 | $25,880 | $47,530 | $43,110 |
| 160 | Las Vegas, NV | $40,330 | $26,440 | $47,200 | $40,240 |
| 161 | Huntsville, AL | $40,120 | $27,270 | $46,450 | $43,110 |
| 162 | Spartanburg, SC | $40,060 | $26,210 | $46,880 | $44,000 |
| 163 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $39,580 | $24,420 | $47,050 | $43,270 |
| 164 | Columbia, SC | $38,600 | $25,230 | $45,180 | $41,210 |
| 165 | Lafayette, LA | $38,560 | $18,780 | $48,320 | $44,220 |
| 166 | Evansville, IN | $38,520 | $26,210 | $44,600 | $42,090 |
| 167 | Tyler, TX | $38,420 | $31,450 | $41,850 | $41,690 |
| 168 | South Bend, IN-MI | $37,590 | $26,120 | $43,240 | $40,480 |
| 169 | Chambersburg, PA | $37,270 | $26,520 | $42,580 | $39,380 |
| 170 | Boise City, ID | $37,230 | $24,650 | $43,430 | $37,840 |
| 171 | Killeen, TX | $37,150 | $25,190 | $43,010 | $40,770 |
| 172 | San Juan, PR | $36,250 | $25,920 | $41,330 | N/A |
| 173 | Little Rock, AR | $35,880 | $25,940 | $40,790 | $40,150 |
| 174 | Fayetteville, AR | $35,630 | $26,560 | $40,100 | $39,000 |
| 175 | McAllen, TX | $32,360 | $22,650 | $37,150 | $37,670 |
More
More on photographers
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Photographer salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays photographers the most?
San Francisco, CA, where the average (mean) wage is $83,780 a year, followed by San Jose, CA ($75,500), Los Angeles, CA ($73,530), Santa Rosa, CA ($72,260). The national mean is $55,410 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do photographers earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in San Francisco, CA ($72,470 at national prices, $83,780 nominal), San Jose, CA ($68,370 at national prices, $75,500 nominal), Portland, OR-WA ($68,330 at national prices, $72,030 nominal).
How much do photographers make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $71,860; Los Angeles, CA: $73,530; Chicago, IL-IN: $52,040; Dallas, TX: $45,470; Houston, TX: $44,950 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do photographers earn the least?
Of the 175 metro areas with their own estimate, McAllen, TX has the lowest mean wage, $32,360. At local prices that is worth $37,670.