Last updated 2 October 2026
How much does a photographer make in 2026?
In the US, the median employed photographer earns $44,660 a year, or $21.47 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $36,050 to $62,740.
Upwork puts freelance photographers at $25 to $45 an hour, median $30, worldwide (Upwork, checked October 2026).
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What do photographers earn in the US?
Photographers (SOC 27-4021), employees. A year (BLS, May 2025):
An hour: median $21.47, middle half $17.33 to $30.16, top tenth from $44.14. About 51,760 employees.
Counting the self-employed, BLS puts the occupation at 145,000 in 2025, 66.7% of them self-employed, and projects -0.7% change by 2035 (BLS projections 2025–35).
By state
| State | Median a year | Middle half | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $110,970 | $83,170–$125,220 | 260 |
| New York | $60,050 | $43,080–$93,620 | 3,650 |
| Massachusetts | $57,990 | $43,410–$98,490 | 830 |
| Oregon | $53,630 | $42,560–$80,680 | 510 |
| Utah | $52,140 | $34,150–$62,200 | 660 |
| Delaware | $50,100 | $35,380–$60,200 | 180 |
| Connecticut | $49,790 | $44,300–$69,730 | 630 |
| New Mexico | $48,090 | $40,980–$67,030 | 230 |
| Washington | $48,050 | $40,690–$65,450 | 960 |
| California | $47,840 | $38,410–$72,100 | 7,980 |
| Kentucky | $47,170 | $30,200–$59,600 | 380 |
| Colorado | $47,070 | $38,730–$69,990 | 1,140 |
| Maine | $46,680 | $36,030–$64,550 | 180 |
| Virginia | $46,550 | $35,640–$55,800 | 1,580 |
| Minnesota | $46,470 | $44,450–$65,050 | 730 |
| Maryland | $46,450 | $36,300–$81,180 | 790 |
| Hawaii | $45,960 | $35,730–$59,710 | 440 |
| Mississippi | $45,860 | $35,130–$58,030 | 190 |
| South Dakota | $45,330 | $35,090–$50,150 | 190 |
| New Hampshire | $44,780 | $35,300–$59,290 | 220 |
| Georgia | $43,770 | $32,120–$72,860 | 1,420 |
| Florida | $42,640 | $33,890–$64,890 | 4,390 |
| Wisconsin | $42,060 | $37,110–$56,940 | 850 |
| Nebraska | $41,920 | $30,990–$61,580 | 220 |
| Texas | $41,280 | $34,980–$51,510 | 4,330 |
| New Jersey | $40,520 | $36,400–$60,740 | 1,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,520 | $34,040–$55,870 | 1,870 |
| Montana | $39,900 | $28,910–$52,000 | 190 |
| Wyoming | $39,330 | $30,530–$50,130 | 50 |
| Alaska | $39,190 | $36,650–$55,290 | 50 |
| Missouri | $39,170 | $31,880–$58,250 | 950 |
| Ohio | $38,470 | $31,650–$53,180 | 1,540 |
| Iowa | $38,290 | $23,670–$49,440 | 430 |
| Tennessee | $37,950 | $32,780–$51,540 | 780 |
| South Carolina | $37,890 | $27,940–$56,890 | 630 |
| Kansas | $37,790 | $34,240–$50,470 | 300 |
| Nevada | $37,460 | $26,940–$47,620 | 890 |
| North Dakota | $37,410 | $36,070–$50,850 | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $37,300 | $35,080–$57,850 | 220 |
| North Carolina | $37,120 | $33,170–$52,660 | 2,130 |
| Arizona | $36,970 | $34,640–$46,660 | 1,360 |
| Louisiana | $36,830 | $26,240–$56,550 | 510 |
| Oklahoma | $36,750 | $21,180–$49,980 | 330 |
| Illinois | $36,570 | $32,300–$57,590 | 2,150 |
| Alabama | $36,130 | $28,470–$55,760 | 530 |
| West Virginia | $36,110 | $35,400–$45,770 | 110 |
| Indiana | $35,960 | $30,840–$47,200 | 810 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,060 | $27,700–$40,460 | 90 |
| Idaho | $33,320 | $28,080–$45,130 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $32,810 | $27,150–$37,280 | 240 |
States where BLS published a median (BLS, May 2025). n/p: not published (too few responses, or withheld to protect employers).
Where the most jobs are
| Metro area | Jobs | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,290 | $47,840 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,590 | $60,050 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,590 | $36,810 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,480 | $43,970 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,470 | $49,980 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,140 | $36,970 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,060 | $54,530 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 980 | $34,860 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 950 | $43,750 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 930 | $48,670 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 880 | $58,840 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 800 | $41,280 |
What do photographers earn in the UK, Canada and Australia?
| Country | Local | In US$ |
|---|---|---|
| United StatesMedian a year (BLS, May 2025)Photographers (27-4021) | $44,660 | $44,660 |
| United KingdomMedian a year, full-time (ONS ASHE, April 2025 (provisional))Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators (SOC 3417) | £32,643 | $43,063 |
| CanadaMedian an hour (Job Bank Canada, 2023–24 data)Photographers (NOC 53110) | C$24.04 | $17.20 |
| AustraliaAverage a week, all employees (ABS, May 2025)Photographers (ANZSCO 2113) | A$1,735 | $1,119 |
US dollars at the 2025 average rates: £1 = $1.3192, US$1 = C$1.3973, A$1 = $0.645 (Federal Reserve, 2025 average). The four figures measure different things, so compare each country with itself first.
UK, full-time, a year
Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators (SOC 2020 3417). The UK group also counts camera operators, video editors and sound engineers. ONS rates the median reasonably precise. (ONS ASHE, April 2025 (provisional))
25th percentile £26,942 · Median £32,643 · the rest not published
Canada, an hour
Photographers (NOC 53110), 2023-2024. (Job Bank Canada, 2023–24 data)
Australia: ABS publishes the average for all employees, A$1,735 a week, with a standard error of A$264 (ABS, May 2025).
What do freelance photographers charge?
Published by the platforms, surveys and unions below, in their words. Platform figures describe that platform's own marketplace, which is worldwide; surveys are self-reported.
| What | Figure | Where | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upwork, photographers (Upwork, checked October 2026) | $25–$45 (median $30)an hour | Worldwide | Platform data |
A freelance rate has to cover what an employer would: unpaid time, software, equipment, tax and holidays. The rate calculator turns the income you want into the hourly rate and project prices that cover them.
Questions
How much does a photographer make in the US?
In the US, the median employed photographer earns $44,660 a year, or $21.47 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $36,050 to $62,740.
How much does a photographer make in the UK?
In the UK, the nearest official group (Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators) has a full-time median of £32,643 a year, about $43,063 (ONS ASHE, April 2025 (provisional)). The UK group also counts camera operators, video editors and sound engineers.
How much does a photographer make in Canada?
In Canada, Photographers (NOC 53110) earn a median of C$24.04 an hour, about $17.20 (Job Bank Canada, 2023–24 data).
How much does a photographer make in Australia?
In Australia, employees in Photographers (ANZSCO 2113) average A$1,735 a week, part-time included, about $1,119 (ABS, May 2025). ABS publishes averages only at this level, not percentiles.
How much should a freelance photographer charge?
Published figures: Upwork, photographers: $25 to $45 an hour, median $30 (Upwork, checked October 2026). These are platform and survey figures, not a census. To work out your own rate from the income you want, your costs and your billable hours, use the free calculator at https://tryslicemedia.com/tools/creative-rate-calculator.
How many photographers are self-employed?
BLS counts 145,000 photographers in the US in 2025, of whom 66.7% are self-employed, and projects a change of -0.7% by 2035 (BLS projections 2025–35). The wage figures above cover employees only.
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2025, Data Cube 11, published 23 January 2026. Checked 2 October 2026. Official dataAverage (mean) weekly total cash earnings of ALL employees in May 2025, part-time included, by ANZSCO four-digit occupation. ABS publishes no percentiles at this level. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
- Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Foreign Exchange Rates, G.5A Annual, 2025 averages, published 5 January 2026. Checked 2 October 2026. Official dataAverage of 2025 daily noon buying rates in New York. US government work, public domain.
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank), Job Bank wages, 2025 release (open data), published 19 November 2025. Checked 2 October 2026. Official dataHourly wages by occupation (NOC 2021), mostly from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey, 2023–2024. Job Bank's "low" and "high" wages are the 10th and 90th percentiles in most cases. Open Government Licence – Canada.
- Office for National Statistics (UK), Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional, Table 14 (occupation by SOC 2020 four-digit), published 23 October 2025. Checked 2 October 2026. Official dataEmployee jobs in April 2025, from HMRC PAYE records. Full-time employees, gross pay. Figures ONS judges unreliable or disclosive are suppressed and shown here as not published. Provisional: ONS revises them a year later. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, published 15 May 2026. Checked 2 October 2026. Official dataSurvey of about 1.1 million employer establishments over three years. Wage and salary workers only: the self-employed are not included. Annual figures are hourly wages times 2,080 hours. US government work, public domain.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35, Table 1.2. Checked 2 October 2026. Official dataProjected change in employment from 2025 to 2035, including the self-employed, and the share of workers who are self-employed. US government work, public domain.
- Upwork, Photographer Hourly Rates. Checked 2 October 2026. Platform data"Typical hourly rate ranges of certain historical contracts worldwide." The range is on the page; the median is in the page's own description (its meta text). No date on the page. Copyright Upwork; quoted with attribution.
How the roles are matched to official groups, and the rest of the method: Creative pay 2026. Download the data (CSV).
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