Pay by state · 50 states
Photographer Salary by State (2026)
Photographers earn the most in District of Columbia at $110,970 a year and the least in Arkansas at $32,810 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $44,660. All 50 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $110,970District of Columbia
- National median
- $44,660BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $32,810Arkansas
- States reporting
- 50of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Photographer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of photographers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $110,970 | $83,170 | $125,220 | 260 | $100,973 |
| 2 | NYNew York | $60,050 | $43,080 | $93,620 | 3,650 | $55,643 |
| 3 | MAMassachusetts | $57,990 | $43,410 | $98,490 | 830 | $54,833 |
| 4 | OROregon | $53,630 | $42,560 | $80,680 | 510 | $51,886 |
| 5 | UTUtah | $52,140 | $34,150 | $62,200 | 660 | $52,739 |
| 6 | DEDelaware | $50,100 | $35,380 | $60,200 | 180 | $50,196 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $49,790 | $44,300 | $69,730 | 630 | $48,055 |
| 8 | NMNew Mexico | $48,090 | $40,980 | $67,030 | 230 | $52,152 |
| 9 | WAWashington | $48,050 | $40,690 | $65,450 | 960 | $44,901 |
| 10 | CACalifornia | $47,840 | $38,410 | $72,100 | 7,980 | $43,208 |
| 11 | KYKentucky | $47,170 | $30,200 | $59,600 | 380 | $52,319 |
| 12 | COColorado | $47,070 | $38,730 | $69,990 | 1,140 | $45,676 |
| 13 | MEMaine | $46,680 | $36,030 | $64,550 | 180 | $48,099 |
| 14 | VAVirginia | $46,550 | $35,640 | $55,800 | 1,580 | $46,042 |
| 15 | MNMinnesota | $46,470 | $44,450 | $65,050 | 730 | $47,120 |
| 16 | MDMaryland | $46,450 | $36,300 | $81,180 | 790 | $44,255 |
| 17 | HIHawaii | $45,960 | $35,730 | $59,710 | 440 | $41,800 |
| 18 | MSMississippi | $45,860 | $35,130 | $58,030 | 190 | $52,741 |
| 19 | SDSouth Dakota | $45,330 | $35,090 | $50,150 | 190 | $51,171 |
| 20 | NHNew Hampshire | $44,780 | $35,300 | $59,290 | 220 | $42,989 |
| 21 | GAGeorgia | $43,770 | $32,120 | $72,860 | 1,420 | $45,455 |
| 22 | FLFlorida | $42,640 | $33,890 | $64,890 | 4,390 | $41,232 |
| 23 | WIWisconsin | $42,060 | $37,110 | $56,940 | 850 | $44,700 |
| 24 | NENebraska | $41,920 | $30,990 | $61,580 | 220 | $46,525 |
| 25 | TXTexas | $41,280 | $34,980 | $51,510 | 4,330 | $42,532 |
| 26 | NJNew Jersey | $40,520 | $36,400 | $60,740 | 1,460 | $37,241 |
| 27 | PAPennsylvania | $40,520 | $34,040 | $55,870 | 1,870 | $41,528 |
| 28 | MTMontana | $39,900 | $28,910 | $52,000 | 190 | $42,158 |
| 29 | WYWyoming | $39,330 | $30,530 | $50,130 | 50 | $42,431 |
| 30 | AKAlaska | $39,190 | $36,650 | $55,290 | 50 | $38,287 |
| 31 | MOMissouri | $39,170 | $31,880 | $58,250 | 950 | $43,131 |
| 32 | OHOhio | $38,470 | $31,650 | $53,180 | 1,540 | $41,466 |
| 33 | IAIowa | $38,290 | $23,670 | $49,440 | 430 | $43,629 |
| 34 | TNTennessee | $37,950 | $32,780 | $51,540 | 780 | $41,308 |
| 35 | SCSouth Carolina | $37,890 | $27,940 | $56,890 | 630 | $40,416 |
| 36 | KSKansas | $37,790 | $34,240 | $50,470 | 300 | $41,957 |
| 37 | NVNevada | $37,460 | $26,940 | $47,620 | 890 | $37,468 |
| 38 | NDNorth Dakota | $37,410 | $36,070 | $50,850 | 70 | $42,053 |
| 39 | RIRhode Island | $37,300 | $35,080 | $57,850 | 220 | $36,469 |
| 40 | NCNorth Carolina | $37,120 | $33,170 | $52,660 | 2,130 | $39,353 |
| 41 | AZArizona | $36,970 | $34,640 | $46,660 | 1,360 | $36,721 |
| 42 | LALouisiana | $36,830 | $26,240 | $56,550 | 510 | $41,754 |
| 43 | OKOklahoma | $36,750 | $21,180 | $49,980 | 330 | $41,836 |
| 44 | ILIllinois | $36,570 | $32,300 | $57,590 | 2,150 | $36,585 |
| 45 | ALAlabama | $36,130 | $28,470 | $55,760 | 530 | $40,676 |
| 46 | WVWest Virginia | $36,110 | $35,400 | $45,770 | 110 | $40,348 |
| 47 | INIndiana | $35,960 | $30,840 | $47,200 | 810 | $38,530 |
| 48 | PRPuerto Rico | $34,060 | $27,700 | $40,460 | 90 | N/A |
| 49 | IDIdaho | $33,320 | $28,080 | $45,130 | 190 | $34,892 |
| 50 | ARArkansas | $32,810 | $27,150 | $37,280 | 240 | $37,740 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Photographers, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $110,970, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $100,973.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Photographer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Photographers the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Photographers at $110,970 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New York ($60,050) and Massachusetts ($57,990).
Which state pays Photographers the least?
Arkansas reports the lowest median for Photographers at $32,810 a year, $78,160 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Photographers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $100,973 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $110,970. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.