Creative pay 2026
Photographer salary in California (2026)
Photographers in California earn a median $47,840 a year ($23.00 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($44,660), 10th of 50 states and territories. That is below the $58,240 median for all jobs in California.
- $47,840median a year in California
- $23.00median an hour
- +7%vs the US median ($44,660)
- 7,980employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a photographer in California?
Half of photographers in California earn between $38,410 and $72,100. Pay is more spread out than nationally: the top 10% earn at least 3.4 times what the bottom 10% earn, against 3.0 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $36,470 | $30,820 | $17.54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $38,410 | $36,050 | $18.47 |
| Median | $47,840 | $44,660 | $23.00 |
| 75th | $72,100 | $62,740 | $34.66 |
| 90th percentile | $125,490 | $91,810 | $60.33 |
The mean (average) is $70,040, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does California compare with other states?
California sits 10th of 50, between Washington ($48,050) and Kentucky ($47,170).
Which cities in California pay photographers best?
Of the 8 metro areas in California where BLS publishes a median for the job, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pays most, at $58,840, 23% above the state median.
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,290 | $47,840 | $23.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 880 | $58,840 | $28.29 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 620 | $44,030 | $21.17 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 460 | $43,710 | $21.02 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 290 | $45,880 | $22.06 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 210 | $52,470 | $25.22 |
| Fresno, CA | 140 | $37,520 | $18.04 |
| Vallejo, CA | 110 | $43,040 | $20.69 |
How many photographers work in California?
BLS estimates 7,980 employee jobs, 0.44 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is concentrated here: California's share of employment in it is 1.32 times the national share (BLS's location quotient). The employment estimate is rough: its relative standard error is 19%.
Employees only. BLS does not count the self-employed, who are a large share of several creative jobs.
What do other creative jobs pay in California?
Every other creative job here pays a higher median than photographers do.
| UX/UI designer | $136,110 | 27,090 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion designer | $130,540 | 7,410 |
| Videographer | $106,900 | 4,700 |
| Video editor | $88,490 | 8,110 |
| Copywriter | $86,480 | 8,390 |
| Graphic designer | $75,130 | 27,390 |
What do freelance photographers charge?
Upwork, photographers list $25 to $45 an hour, worldwide. California's employee median of $23.00 an hour is below that range. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average photographer salary in California?
The median is $47,840 a year and the mean is $70,040, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 7,980 employee jobs.
How much does a photographer make an hour in California?
The median hourly wage is $23.00. The bottom 10% earn under $17.54 and the top 10% over $60.33.
What does a starting photographer earn in California?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of photographers in California earn under $38,410 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $36,470, which is the nearest guide to starting pay.
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Where do these numbers come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (published 15 May 2026). Occupation 27-4021, Photographers. Employees only; annual figures are hourly times 2,080.
n = 7,980 jobs in the California estimate. Last updated 2 October 2026.
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Photographer pay in other states
- District of Columbia $110,970
- New York $60,050
- Massachusetts $57,990
- Oregon $53,630
- Utah $52,140
- Connecticut $49,790
- Washington $48,050
- Kentucky $47,170
- Colorado $47,070
- Virginia $46,550
- Minnesota $46,470
- Maryland $46,450