The salary statistics of photographers are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of photographers within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The photographers annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $26,990 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $31,050 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $40,170 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $59,750 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $82,450 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for photographers. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) photographers is $82,450. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $40,170. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $26,990. Take note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 205% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of photographers from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $40,170 | 3.04% | 29.08% |
| 2021 | $38,950 | -5.98% | - |
| 2020 | $41,280 | 12.11% | - |
| 2019 | $36,280 | 6.28% | - |
| 2018 | $34,000 | 4.44% | - |
| 2017 | $32,490 | -4.86% | - |
| 2016 | $34,070 | 6.93% | - |
| 2015 | $31,710 | 3.85% | - |
| 2014 | $30,490 | 3.97% | - |
| 2013 | $29,280 | 2.70% | - |
| 2012 | $28,490 | - | - |
The average salaries of photographers in 17 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for photographers occupations is the management of companies and enterprises sector with an annual salary $71,180. The lowest paying sector is the construction sector (annual salary $28,290).
From the above tables we note that not only photographers salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of photographers in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $24,510 to $75,770. The highest paying state for photographers is District of Columbia with a median annual salary of $75,770. The lowest paying state is Guam with a median annual salary of $24,510. For more salary information of photographers profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.