Creative pay 2026
Photographer salary in Texas (2026)
Photographers in Texas earn a median $41,280 a year ($19.85 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($44,660), 25th of 50 states and territories. That is below the $48,620 median for all jobs in Texas.
- $41,280median a year in Texas
- $19.85median an hour
- −8%vs the US median ($44,660)
- 4,330employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a photographer in Texas?
Half of photographers in Texas earn between $34,980 and $51,510. 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 | $24,910 | $30,820 | $11.98 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $34,980 | $36,050 | $16.82 |
| Median | $41,280 | $44,660 | $19.85 |
| 75th | $51,510 | $62,740 | $24.77 |
| 90th percentile | $62,720 | $91,810 | $30.15 |
The mean (average) is $43,720, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Texas compare with other states?
Texas sits 25th of 50, between Nebraska ($41,920) and New Jersey ($40,520).
Which cities in Texas pay photographers best?
Of the 8 metro areas in Texas where BLS publishes a median for the job, Corpus Christi pays most, at $45,000, 9% above the state median.
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,480 | $43,970 | $21.14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 800 | $41,280 | $19.85 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 540 | $38,970 | $18.74 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 330 | $37,780 | $18.16 |
| El Paso, TX | 80 | $36,650 | $17.62 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 70 | $28,110 | $13.51 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 50 | $45,000 | $21.64 |
| Tyler, TX | 50 | $34,130 | $16.41 |
How many photographers work in Texas?
BLS estimates 4,330 employee jobs, 0.31 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. It is about as common here as nationally (location quotient 0.92).
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 Texas?
Every other creative job here pays a higher median than photographers do.
| UX/UI designer | $102,650 | 5,910 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion designer | $78,930 | n/a |
| Copywriter | $69,990 | 2,320 |
| Videographer | $63,110 | 1,100 |
| Video editor | $61,220 | 1,040 |
| Graphic designer | $60,150 | 13,670 |
What do freelance photographers charge?
Upwork, photographers list $25 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Texas's employee median of $19.85 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 Texas?
The median is $41,280 a year and the mean is $43,720, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 4,330 employee jobs.
How much does a photographer make an hour in Texas?
The median hourly wage is $19.85. The bottom 10% earn under $11.98 and the top 10% over $30.15.
What does a starting photographer earn in Texas?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of photographers in Texas earn under $34,980 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $24,910, 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 = 4,330 jobs in the Texas 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