Creative pay 2026
Photographer salary in Utah (2026)
Photographers in Utah earn a median $52,140 a year ($25.07 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is 17% more than the US median of $44,660, and 5th of 50 states and territories with published figures. That is roughly what the typical job in Utah pays ($50,110).
- $52,140median a year in Utah
- $25.07median an hour
- +17%vs the US median ($44,660)
- 660employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a photographer in Utah?
Half of photographers in Utah earn between $34,150 and $62,200. Pay is bunched more tightly than nationally: the 90th percentile is 2.6 times the 10th, against 3.0 times across the US.
| 10th percentile | $31,440 | $30,820 | $15.11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $34,150 | $36,050 | $16.42 |
| Median | $52,140 | $44,660 | $25.07 |
| 75th | $62,200 | $62,740 | $29.90 |
| 90th percentile | $81,070 | $91,810 | $38.98 |
The mean (average) is $51,290, below the median.
How does Utah compare with other states?
Utah is in the top five for photographers' pay. Only District of Columbia, New York, Massachusetts and Oregon pay more.
Which cities in Utah pay photographers best?
Of the 3 metro areas in Utah where BLS publishes a median for the job, Salt Lake City-Murray pays most, at $60,000, 15% above the state median.
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 280 | $60,000 | $28.85 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ogden, UT | 150 | $33,860 | $16.28 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 130 | $36,180 | $17.40 |
How many photographers work in Utah?
BLS estimates 660 employee jobs, 0.38 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. It is about as common here as nationally (location quotient 1.14).
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 Utah?
Every other creative job here pays a higher median than photographers do.
| UX/UI designer | $99,990 | 1,060 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion designer | $88,210 | 320 |
| Video editor | $76,240 | 370 |
| Videographer | $73,450 | 240 |
| Copywriter | $64,530 | 410 |
| Graphic designer | $62,310 | 2,720 |
What do freelance photographers charge?
Upwork, photographers list $25 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Utah's employee median of $25.07 an hour is inside that range. The rate calculator works out an hourly rate from the salary you want.
Questions
What is the average photographer salary in Utah?
The median is $52,140 a year and the mean is $51,290, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 660 employee jobs.
How much does a photographer make an hour in Utah?
The median hourly wage is $25.07. The bottom 10% earn under $15.11 and the top 10% over $38.98.
What does a starting photographer earn in Utah?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of photographers in Utah earn under $34,150 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $31,440, 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 = 660 jobs in the Utah 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
- Connecticut $49,790
- Washington $48,050
- California $47,840
- Kentucky $47,170
- Colorado $47,070
- Virginia $46,550
- Minnesota $46,470
- Maryland $46,450