Photographers use their expertise and a wide range of professional tools to create various visual images for either commercial or artistic purposes. Regardless of a photographer’s chosen area of expertise, their work is typically based on a brief assigned by a client or employer. A career as a photographer can be personally and professionally rewarding, but it usually requires natural talent and years of practice. In this article, we discuss a photographer’s average salary, their salary by location and six tips to improve your earnings as a photographer.
Average salary
Salaries for photographers depend on several factors, such as the type of photography work, nature of the employer, work experience and geographical location. Wages can also vary depending on the time of year for photographers who specialize in seasonal events. The average salary for photographers in the United States is $17.13 per hour although updated salary averages can be found on Indeed, and some salaries range from $7.25 to $41.55 per hour.
Salary by location
Geographical location is also a major factor that influences how much photographers can make. Photographers with the same specialization, skills and expertise can earn different amounts of money for similar work depending on the state in which they operate. Here are the recorded average salaries for photographers by state, although updates in salary figures can be found by following the links:
- Alabama: $16.82 per hour
- Alaska: $24.21 per hour
- Arizona: $13.93 per hour
- Arkansas: $17.80 per hour
- California: $16.29 per hour
- Colorado: $14.63 per hour
- Connecticut: $15.64 per hour
- Delaware: $16.59 per hour
- District of Columbia: $20.56 per hour
- Florida: $14.87 per hour
- Georgia: $13.14 per hour
- Hawaii: $15.21 per hour
- Idaho: $13.46 per hour
- Illinois: $12.83 per hour
- Indiana: $18.03 per hour
- Iowa: $13.87 per hour
- Kansas: $15.37 per hour
- Kentucky: $16.73 per hour
- Louisiana: $14.76 per hour
- Maine: $43.38 per hour
- Maryland: $13.77 per hour
- Massachusetts: $17.08 per hour
- Michigan: $17.41 per hour
- Minnesota: $17.81 per hour
- Mississippi: $26.71 per hour
- Missouri: $14.24 per hour
- Montana: $12.78 per hour
- Nebraska: $32.87 per hour
- Nevada: $13.72 per hour
- New Hampshire: $14.11 per hour
- New Jersey: $15.23 per hour
- New Mexico: $17.26 per hour
- New York: $17.00 per hour
- North Carolina: $13.58 per hour
- North Dakota: $16.63 per hour
- Ohio: $14.37 per hour
- Oklahoma: $11.72 per hour
- Oregon: $15.72 per hour
- Pennsylvania: $15.73 per hour
- Rhode Island: $17.85 per hour
- South Carolina: $12.99 per hour
- South Dakota: $20.60 per hour
- Tennessee: $14.73 per hour
- Texas: $21.51 per hour
- Utah: $15.42 per hour
- Vermont: $42.46 per hour
- Virginia: $14.59 per hour
- Washington: $20.77 per hour
- West Virginia: $16.56 per hour
- Wisconsin: $14.24 per hour
- Wyoming: $17.15 per hour