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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

27-4021 Photographers

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects, using digital or film cameras and equipment. May develop negatives or use computer software to produce finished images and prints. Includes scientific photographers, aerial photographers, and photojournalists.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
49,560 1.9 % $20.56 $42,770 1.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.54 $11.52 $16.35 $25.73 $36.71
Annual Wage (2) $19,850 $23,970 $34,000 $53,520 $76,360


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29,260 4.02 $18.81 $39,130
Radio and Television Broadcasting 3,320 1.53 $24.13 $50,200
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 2,470 0.74 $23.89 $49,680
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,720 0.42 $31.04 $64,560
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 1,280 0.32 $23.05 $47,940

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29,260 4.02 $18.81 $39,130
Radio and Television Broadcasting 3,320 1.53 $24.13 $50,200
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 640 1.23 $19.98 $41,560
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 2,470 0.74 $23.89 $49,680
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,720 0.42 $31.04 $64,560

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 50 0.01 $38.99 $81,090
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 300 0.01 $31.47 $65,450
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,720 0.42 $31.04 $64,560
Printing and Related Support Activities 60 0.01 $29.93 $62,260
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services 40 0.02 $29.32 $60,980


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 6,060 0.36 1.04 $25.35 $52,720
Florida 4,480 0.52 1.52 $19.22 $39,990
New York 4,090 0.44 1.27 $25.56 $53,150
Texas 3,070 0.25 0.74 $16.42 $34,160
Illinois 2,600 0.43 1.27 $17.45 $36,290




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 450 0.70 2.06 $20.02 $41,640
District of Columbia 420 0.60 1.74 $39.83 $82,840
Nevada 770 0.57 1.67 $16.83 $35,010
Rhode Island 250 0.52 1.52 $26.35 $54,800
Florida 4,480 0.52 1.52 $19.22 $39,990




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 420 0.60 1.74 $39.83 $82,840
Massachusetts 1,220 0.34 1.00 $31.29 $65,090
Rhode Island 250 0.52 1.52 $26.35 $54,800
Minnesota 770 0.27 0.78 $26.03 $54,150
New Mexico 230 0.28 0.82 $25.83 $53,720





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,420 0.47 1.36 $24.04 $50,000
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,300 0.54 1.57 $27.39 $56,980
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,320 0.50 1.46 $17.69 $36,790
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,600 1.28 3.73 $15.58 $32,410
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,490 0.56 1.63 $21.37 $44,450
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,080 0.30 0.88 $17.80 $37,020
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,070 0.39 1.13 $32.47 $67,540
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,050 0.33 0.98 $26.92 $55,980
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 960 0.37 1.08 $20.17 $41,950
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 800 0.28 0.82 $19.25 $40,030




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Longview, TX 120 1.35 3.95 $9.11 $18,960
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,600 1.28 3.73 $15.58 $32,410
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 80 1.01 2.95 $17.12 $35,600
Flagstaff, AZ 60 0.94 2.75 $13.04 $27,130
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN 70 0.91 2.67 $16.86 $35,070
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC 150 0.90 2.63 $12.63 $26,280
East Stroudsburg, PA 50 0.87 2.53 $12.79 $26,600
Urban Honolulu, HI 360 0.76 2.23 $20.90 $43,460
Green Bay, WI 130 0.76 2.22 $15.36 $31,960
Tyler, TX 80 0.74 2.17 $13.52 $28,110




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,070 0.39 1.13 $32.47 $67,540
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 790 0.33 0.96 $30.10 $62,620
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,300 0.54 1.57 $27.39 $56,980
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 60 0.46 1.35 $27.09 $56,340
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,050 0.33 0.98 $26.92 $55,980
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 650 0.33 0.96 $26.80 $55,740
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 740 0.37 1.08 $25.59 $53,220
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 290 0.50 1.46 $25.50 $53,040
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 660 0.34 0.98 $25.37 $52,770
Portland-South Portland, ME 50 0.22 0.65 $24.29 $50,530

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 140 1.91 5.58 $15.26 $31,730
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 90 0.41 1.21 $14.38 $29,920
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 60 0.54 1.58 $13.01 $27,060
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 60 0.25 0.73 $24.32 $50,580
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 60 0.30 0.87 $14.23 $29,610

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 140 1.91 5.58 $15.26 $31,730
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 60 0.5