Elena Wiedlin
Scott Olson // Getty Images
In a world where 85% of American adults own a smartphone, photography has become a hobby accessible to virtually everyone. Yet professional photographers are still in high demand. The number of professional photographers over the next 10 years is expected to increase by 9%, nearly double the average growth rate projected across all industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
There are approximately 38,420 active photographers in the United States. The career path offers a myriad of focus areas, such as wedding and event photography, family portraiture, portraits, photojournalism, advertising, fashion, and magazine shoots. A rapidly growing industry is stock photography; other photography work may focus on architecture, automobiles, landscapes, or science.
Giggster analyzed May 2021 data from the BLS to determine the hourly and annual salaries of photographers in 20 of the most populous metropolitan areas. The metros are listed in alphabetical order and include the main city as well as surrounding towns and suburbs.
The BLS classifies photographers as photographs of landscapes, merchandise, people, or other subjects. These workers may use lighting when shooting a subject to enhance certain features and use editing software when producing prints or images. The occupational field includes scientific photographers, photojournalists, and commercial and industrial photographers; it excludes similar professions such as cameramen, video and film and television.
Means and medians have been calculated to broaden the scope of annual and hourly wages. An average is calculated by adding all salaries together and dividing by the number of salaries used. The median is calculated by the midpoint, where half the salaries are higher and the other half are lower.
The average hourly salary for photographers in the United States is $23.18, with an average annual salary of $48,210. When calculating by median, the hourly salary for photographers is $18.73, with an annual salary of $38,950.
Keep reading to see how much photographers are paid in 20 major metros.
Atlanta
cendhika // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 1,100
– Average annual salary: $63,580
– Median annual salary: $61,000
– Average hourly wage: $30.57
– Median hourly wage: $29.33
Boston
Roman Babakin // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 530
– Average annual salary: $55,270
– Median annual salary: $50,340
– Average hourly wage: $26.57
– Median hourly wage: $24.20
Chicago
Anne Richard // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 1,390
– Average annual salary: $53,340
– Median annual salary: $46,910
– Average hourly wage: $25.64
– Median hourly wage: $22.55
Cincinnati
Anne Kitzman // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 340
– Average annual salary: $41,790
– Median annual salary: $36,510
– Average hourly wage: $20.09
– Median hourly wage: $17.56
Dallas-Fort Worth
Nat Chittamai // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 970
– Average annual salary: $44,440
– Median annual salary: $36,100
– Average hourly wage: $21.37
– Median hourly wage: $17.36
denver
Light Studios Page // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 520
– Average annual salary: $53,180
– Median annual salary: $45,340
– Average hourly wage: $25.57
– Median hourly wage: $21.80
Detroit
Cloth
– Photographers in the metro: 380
– Average annual salary: $52,390
– Median annual salary: $38,590
– Average hourly wage: $25.19
– Median hourly wage: $18.55
Houston
Cloth
– Photographers in the metro: 780
– Average annual salary: $39,890
– Median annual salary: $33,750
– Average hourly wage: $19.18
– Median hourly wage: $16.23
Vegas
Ethan Miller // Getty Images
– Photographers in the metro: 400
– Average annual salary: $33,500
– Median annual salary: $30,220
– Average hourly wage: $16.11
– Median hourly wage: $14.53
Angels
Kit Leong // Shutterstock
– Metro photographers: quote not available
– Average annual salary: $51,340
– Median annual salary: $46,550
– Average hourly wage: $24.68
– Median hourly wage: $22.38
miami
Jan’s Snail House // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 1,000
– Average annual salary: $53,090
– Median annual salary: $48,860
– Average hourly wage: $25.52
– Median hourly wage: $23.49
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Sam Wagner // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 630
– Average annual salary: $49,380
– Median annual salary: $48,320
– Average hourly wage: $23.74
– Median hourly wage: $23.23
New York City
Eileen_10 // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 3,260
– Average annual salary: $62,730
– Median annual salary: $55,770
– Average hourly wage: $30.16
– Median hourly wage: $26.81
philadelphia cream
Raymond well // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 560
– Average annual salary: $47,050
– Median annual salary: $43,000
– Average hourly wage: $22.62
– Median hourly wage: $20.67
Phoenix
Gregory E. Clifford // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 690
– Average annual salary: $44,590
– Median annual salary: $32,920
– Average hourly wage: $21.44
– Median hourly wage: $15.83
San Francisco
drserg // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 770
– Average annual salary: $66,140
– Median annual salary: $59,100
– Average hourly wage: $31.80
– Median hourly wage: $28.41
Seattle
EB Adventure Photography // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 630
– Average annual salary: $65,810
– Median annual salary: $74,880
– Average hourly wage: $31.64
– Median hourly wage: $36.00
Saint Louis
Matthew Munsell // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 300
– Average annual salary: $41,270
– Median annual salary: $36,640
– Average hourly wage: $19.84
– Median hourly wage: $17.61
Tampa
Yes, I photograph models // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 480
– Average annual salary: $38,020
– Median annual salary: $29,780
– Average hourly wage: $18.28
– Median hourly wage: $14.32
washington d.c.
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
– Photographers in the metro: 650
– Average annual salary: $70,440
– Median annual salary: $60,720
– Average hourly wage: $33.86
– Median hourly wage: $29.19
This story originally appeared on Giggster and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.