Creative pay 2026
Photographer salary in Wisconsin (2026)
Photographers in Wisconsin earn a median $42,060 a year ($20.22 an hour), according to BLS wage data for May 2025. That is close to the US median for the job ($44,660), 23rd of 50 states and territories. That is below the $50,270 median for all jobs in Wisconsin.
- $42,060median a year in Wisconsin
- $20.22median an hour
- −6%vs the US median ($44,660)
- 850employee jobs (BLS estimate)
What is the salary range for a photographer in Wisconsin?
Half of photographers in Wisconsin earn between $37,110 and $56,940. 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 | $31,540 | $30,820 | $15.16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | $37,110 | $36,050 | $17.84 |
| Median | $42,060 | $44,660 | $20.22 |
| 75th | $56,940 | $62,740 | $27.38 |
| 90th percentile | $80,550 | $91,810 | $38.73 |
The mean (average) is $49,640, above the median, pulled up by the highest earners.
How does Wisconsin compare with other states?
Wisconsin sits 23rd of 50, between Florida ($42,640) and Nebraska ($41,920).
Which cities in Wisconsin pay photographers best?
Of the 5 metro areas in Wisconsin where BLS publishes a median for the job, La Crosse-Onalaska pays most, at $47,300, 12% above the state median.
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 520 | $46,960 | $22.58 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 300 | $44,940 | $21.61 |
| Madison, WI | 160 | $43,040 | $20.69 |
| Green Bay, WI | 80 | $38,080 | $18.31 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 30 | $47,300 | $22.74 |
How many photographers work in Wisconsin?
BLS estimates 850 employee jobs, 0.29 in every 1,000 jobs in the state. It is about as common here as nationally (location quotient 0.87).
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 Wisconsin?
Every other creative job here pays a higher median than photographers do.
| UX/UI designer | $95,340 | 880 |
|---|---|---|
| Motion designer | $64,890 | 210 |
| Copywriter | $64,370 | 710 |
| Graphic designer | $59,900 | 4,130 |
| Video editor | $53,430 | 240 |
| Videographer | $52,810 | 300 |
What do freelance photographers charge?
Upwork, photographers list $25 to $45 an hour, worldwide. Wisconsin's employee median of $20.22 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 Wisconsin?
The median is $42,060 a year and the mean is $49,640, from BLS data for May 2025 covering about 850 employee jobs.
How much does a photographer make an hour in Wisconsin?
The median hourly wage is $20.22. The bottom 10% earn under $15.16 and the top 10% over $38.73.
What does a starting photographer earn in Wisconsin?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The lowest-paid quarter of photographers in Wisconsin earn under $37,110 a year and the lowest-paid tenth under $31,540, 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 = 850 jobs in the Wisconsin 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