Creative pay 2026
Photographer salary in Tennessee (2026)
Photographers in Tennessee earn a median $37,950 a year ($18.25 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 15% below the US median of $44,660; Tennessee is 34th of 50 states and territories. That is below the $47,380 median for all jobs in Tennessee.
- $37,950median a year in Tennessee
- $18.25median an hour
- −15%vs the US median ($44,660)
- 780employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a photographer in Tennessee?
Half of photographers in Tennessee earn between $32,780 and $51,540. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.3 times the 10th, against 3.0 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $28,820 | $30,820 | $13.86 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $32,780 | $36,050 | $15.76 |
| Median | $37,950 | $44,660 | $18.25 |
| 75th | $51,540 | $62,740 | $24.78 |
| 90th percentile | $67,060 | $91,810 | $32.24 |
The mean (average) is $44,060, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Tennessee compare with other states?
Tennessee sits 34th of 50, between Iowa ($38,290) and South Carolina ($37,890).
Which cities in Tennessee pay photographers best?
Of the 4 metro areas in Tennessee where BLS publishes a median for the job, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays most, at $44,480, 17% above the state median.
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 240 | $44,480 | $21.38 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 110 | $38,510 | $18.51 |
| Knoxville, TN | 100 | $36,240 | $17.43 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 50 | $33,600 | $16.15 |
How many photographers work in Tennessee?
BLS estimates 780 employee jobs, 0.24 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. The job is rarer here than nationally: a location quotient of 0.71, where 1 is the US average.
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 Tennessee?
Every other creative job here pays a higher median than photographers do.
| Motion designer | $83,080 | 90 |
|---|---|---|
| UX/UI designer | $63,510 | 3,610 |
| Copywriter | $58,870 | 1,260 |
| Video editor | $57,880 | 560 |
| Graphic designer | $57,270 | 3,880 |
| Videographer | $57,030 | 460 |
What do freelance photographers charge?
Upwork, photographers list $25 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Tennessee's employee median of $18.25 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 Tennessee?
The median is $37,950 a year and the mean is $44,060, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 780 employee jobs.
How much does a photographer make an hour in Tennessee?
The median hourly wage is $18.25. The bottom 10% earn under $13.86 and the top 10% over $32.24.
What does a starting photographer earn in Tennessee?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of photographers in Tennessee earn under $32,780 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $28,820, 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 = 780 jobs in the Tennessee 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