Creative pay 2026
Photographer salary in Colorado (2026)
Photographers in Colorado earn a median $47,070 a year ($22.63 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($44,660), 12th of 50 states and territories. That is below the $59,800 median for all jobs in Colorado.
- $47,070median a year in Colorado
- $22.63median an hour
- +5%vs the US median ($44,660)
- 1,140employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a photographer in Colorado?
Half of photographers in Colorado earn between $38,730 and $69,990. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.5 times the 10th, against 3.0 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $36,440 | $30,820 | $17.52 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $38,730 | $36,050 | $18.62 |
| Median | $47,070 | $44,660 | $22.63 |
| 75th | $69,990 | $62,740 | $33.65 |
| 90th percentile | $92,200 | $91,810 | $44.33 |
The mean (average) is $58,170, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Colorado compare with other states?
Colorado sits 12th of 50, between Kentucky ($47,170) and Maine ($46,680).
Which cities in Colorado pay photographers best?
Of the 5 metro areas in Colorado where BLS publishes a median for the job, Fort Collins-Loveland pays most, at $62,550, 33% above the state median.
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 620 | $47,340 | $22.76 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | 120 | $42,110 | $20.24 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 70 | $62,550 | $30.07 |
| Boulder, CO | 60 | $60,930 | $29.29 |
| Greeley, CO | 40 | $42,020 | $20.20 |
How many photographers work in Colorado?
BLS estimates 1,140 employee jobs, 0.4 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. It is about as common here as nationally (location quotient 1.19).
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 Colorado?
Every other creative job here pays a higher median than photographers do.
| UX/UI designer | $95,880 | 3,250 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion designer | $91,290 | 210 |
| Video editor | $84,620 | 380 |
| Copywriter | $76,830 | 1,300 |
| Videographer | $74,990 | 300 |
| Graphic designer | $66,330 | 4,200 |
What do freelance photographers charge?
Upwork, photographers list $25 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Colorado's employee median of $22.63 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 Colorado?
The median is $47,070 a year and the mean is $58,170, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 1,140 employee jobs.
How much does a photographer make an hour in Colorado?
The median hourly wage is $22.63. The bottom 10% earn under $17.52 and the top 10% over $44.33.
What does a starting photographer earn in Colorado?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of photographers in Colorado earn under $38,730 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $36,440, 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 = 1,140 jobs in the Colorado 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
- California $47,840
- Kentucky $47,170
- Virginia $46,550
- Minnesota $46,470
- Maryland $46,450