Photographers: salary, outlook & degrees
Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.
Middle half $36,050–$62,740. 51,760 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
53% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $42,640.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 10,700 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Film Video And Photographic Arts | 15% | Film and Photography |
| Mass Media | 7% | Broadcasting / Digital Media |
| Communications | 6% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Fine Arts | 6% | — |
| Psychology | 4% | Psychology |
| Commercial Art And Graphic Design | 4% | Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design |
| General Business | 3% | Business |
| Journalism | 3% | Journalism |
| Biology | 3% | Biology |
| English Language And Literature | 3% | English |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $110,970 |
| New York | $60,050 |
| Massachusetts | $57,990 |
| Oregon | $53,630 |
| Utah | $52,140 |
| Delaware | $50,100 |
| Connecticut | $49,790 |
| New Mexico | $48,090 |
| Washington | $48,050 |
| California | $47,840 |
| Kentucky | $47,170 |
| Colorado | $47,070 |
| Maine | $46,680 |
| Virginia | $46,550 |
| Minnesota | $46,470 |
| Maryland | $46,450 |
| Hawaii | $45,960 |
| Mississippi | $45,860 |
| South Dakota | $45,330 |
| New Hampshire | $44,780 |
| Georgia | $43,770 |
| Florida | $42,640 |
| Wisconsin | $42,060 |
| Nebraska | $41,920 |
| Texas | $41,280 |
| New Jersey | $40,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,520 |
| Montana | $39,900 |
| Wyoming | $39,330 |
| Alaska | $39,190 |
| Missouri | $39,170 |
| Ohio | $38,470 |
| Iowa | $38,290 |
| Tennessee | $37,950 |
| South Carolina | $37,890 |
| Kansas | $37,790 |
| Nevada | $37,460 |
| North Dakota | $37,410 |
| Rhode Island | $37,300 |
| North Carolina | $37,120 |
| Arizona | $36,970 |
| Louisiana | $36,830 |
| Oklahoma | $36,750 |
| Illinois | $36,570 |
| Alabama | $36,130 |
| West Virginia | $36,110 |
| Indiana | $35,960 |
| PR | $34,060 |
| Idaho | $33,320 |
| Arkansas | $32,810 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$49,980
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$34,860
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$44,530
- Jacksonville$46,540
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$45,380
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$40,580
- Tallahassee$34,010
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$38,320
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$54,530
- Richmond$46,420
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$42,210
- Charlottesville$44,290
- Roanoke$39,710
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$47,840
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$58,840
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$44,030
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$43,710
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$45,880
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$52,470
- Fresno$37,520
- Vallejo$43,040
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Knowledge used
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- English Language
Work styles
- Innovation
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Adaptability
- Perseverance
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Artistic (creative) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Photographers: questions
How much do photographers make?
Photographers earn a U.S. median $44,660 a year; the middle half earn $36,050 to $62,740 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $38,830 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is photographers a growing field?
BLS projects a decline of 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a photographer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as high school diploma or equivalent. In O*NET's survey, 18% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is film Video And Photographic Arts (15%).
How much do photographers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $42,640 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $44,660 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-4021. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Photographers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/photographers.