Creative pay 2026
Photographer salary in Hawaii (2026)
Photographers in Hawaii earn a median $45,960 a year ($22.10 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($44,660), 17th of 50 states and territories. That is below the $56,320 median for all jobs in Hawaii.
- $45,960median a year in Hawaii
- $22.10median an hour
- +3%vs the US median ($44,660)
- 440employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a photographer in Hawaii?
Half of photographers in Hawaii earn between $35,730 and $59,710. 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 | $30,800 | $30,820 | $14.81 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $35,730 | $36,050 | $17.18 |
| Median | $45,960 | $44,660 | $22.10 |
| 75th | $59,710 | $62,740 | $28.71 |
| 90th percentile | $105,820 | $91,810 | $50.88 |
The mean (average) is $57,030, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Hawaii compare with other states?
Hawaii sits 17th of 50, between Maryland ($46,450) and Mississippi ($45,860).
Which cities in Hawaii pay photographers best?
Of the 2 metro areas in Hawaii where BLS publishes a median for the job, Kahului-Wailuku pays most, at $51,870, 13% above the state median.
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 280 | $45,300 | $21.78 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 100 | $51,870 | $24.94 |
How many photographers work in Hawaii?
BLS estimates 440 employee jobs, 0.7 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is concentrated here: Hawaii's share of employment in it is 2.09 times the national share (BLS's location quotient).
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 Hawaii?
1 of the 2 other creative jobs below pay a higher median in Hawaii.
| Graphic designer | $58,070 | 520 |
|---|---|---|
| Videographer | $44,230 | 90 |
What do freelance photographers charge?
Upwork, photographers list $25 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Hawaii's employee median of $22.10 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 Hawaii?
The median is $45,960 a year and the mean is $57,030, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 440 employee jobs.
How much does a photographer make an hour in Hawaii?
The median hourly wage is $22.10. The bottom 10% earn under $14.81 and the top 10% over $50.88.
What does a starting photographer earn in Hawaii?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of photographers in Hawaii earn under $35,730 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $30,800, 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 = 440 jobs in the Hawaii 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
- Colorado $47,070
- Virginia $46,550
- Minnesota $46,470