Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019
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) |
| 50,620 |
2.3 % |
$21.85 |
$45,440 |
1.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$9.92 |
$12.09 |
$17.44 |
$27.53 |
$38.19 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$20,630 |
$25,150 |
$36,280 |
$57,250 |
$79,440 |
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 |
29,230 |
3.89 |
$19.73 |
$41,040 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting |
3,630 |
1.69 |
$25.01 |
$52,020 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers |
1,970 |
0.65 |
$25.40 |
$52,820 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries |
1,910 |
0.45 |
$34.46 |
$71,670 |
| Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses |
1,100 |
0.28 |
$23.33 |
$48,520 |
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 |
29,230 |
3.89 |
$19.73 |
$41,040 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting |
3,630 |
1.69 |
$25.01 |
$52,020 |
| Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers |
880 |
1.65 |
$22.20 |
$46,170 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers |
1,970 |
0.65 |
$25.40 |
$52,820 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries |
1,910 |
0.45 |
$34.46 |
$71,670 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
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 |
6,600 |
0.38 |
1.10 |
$26.19 |
$54,470 |
| Florida |
4,790 |
0.54 |
1.58 |
$15.46 |
$32,150 |
| New York |
4,680 |
0.49 |
1.43 |
$31.28 |
$65,070 |
| Texas |
3,300 |
0.27 |
0.77 |
$24.41 |
$50,770 |
| Illinois |
2,460 |
0.41 |
1.18 |
$19.03 |
$39,590 |
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) |
| Nevada |
1,100 |
0.79 |
2.29 |
$14.34 |
$29,820 |
| Hawaii |
430 |
0.68 |
1.98 |
$21.05 |
$43,780 |
| District of Columbia |
440 |
0.61 |
1.78 |
$42.94 |
$89,310 |
| Rhode Island |
280 |
0.59 |
1.70 |
$28.10 |
$58,460 |
| Florida |
4,790 |
0.54 |
1.58 |
$15.46 |
$32,150 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
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 |
4,870 |
0.50 |
1.46 |
$30.70 |
$63,850 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
3,500 |
0.56 |
1.63 |
$28.52 |
$59,330 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,150 |
0.46 |
1.34 |
$18.65 |
$38,790 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
1,570 |
0.57 |
1.66 |
$23.43 |
$48,730 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL |
1,480 |
1.15 |
3.33 |
$12.56 |
$26,120 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,210 |
0.33 |
0.96 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
1,080 |
0.41 |
1.19 |
$19.50 |
$40,570 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
1,010 |
0.36 |
1.04 |
$28.47 |
$59,220 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV |
970 |
0.96 |
2.77 |
$14.57 |
$30,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
910 |
0.37 |
1.07 |
$29.58 |
$61,530 |
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) |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL |
1,480 |
1.15 |
3.33 |
$12.56 |
$26,120 |
| Hammond, LA |
40 |
0.99 |
2.88 |
$12.24 |
$25,460 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV |
970 |
0.96 |
2.77 |
$14.57 |
$30,290 |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI |
70 |
0.96 |
2.79 |
$17.79 |
$37,000 |
| Asheville, NC |
140 |
0.72 |
2.10 |
$13.64 |
$28,370 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
330 |
0.71 |
2.07 |
$22.66 |
$47,130 |
| Rockford, IL |
100 |
0.69 |
2.00 |
$13.40 |
$27,860 |
| Springfield, MO |
140 |
0.68 |
1.98 |
$13.91 |
$28,940 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI |
90 |
0.67 |
1.96 |
(8) |
(8) |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA |
220 |
0.66 |
1.92 |
$15.87 |
$33,010 |
United States Department of Labor
