Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 27-4021

Photographers

The published band from $30,820 to $91,810 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Special Effects Artists and Animators.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Photographers: Special Effects Artists and Animators ($102K) , Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners ($72K) , Editors ($78K) , Writers and Authors ($77K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Photographers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 27-4021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion…
  2. 2. Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors
  3. 3. Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects
  4. 4. Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission
  5. 5. Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments
  6. 6. Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software
  7. 7. Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location
  8. 8. Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques
  9. 9. Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order
  10. 10. Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas
  11. 11. Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies
  12. 12. Review sets of photographs to select the best work

Photographers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 27-4021 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.8
  2. 2. Speaking 3.8
  3. 3. Service Orientation 3.3
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.1
  6. 6. Active Learning 3.1
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.1
  8. 8. Social Perceptiveness 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.7
  2. 2. Sales and Marketing 4.5
  3. 3. Computers and Electronics 4.2
  4. 4. Administration and Management 3.9
  5. 5. English Language 3.7
  6. 6. Communications and Media 3.7
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$30,820 to $91,810
median $44,660 · ~3.0× spread
$45K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
12,700
Annual openings
51,760
Estimated US jobs
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Photographers

1. Utah $52,140
2. New Mexico $48,090
3. Washington $48,050
4. District of Columbia $110,970
5. California $47,840
6. Oregon $53,630
7. Massachusetts $57,990
8. Delaware $50,100
9. Connecticut $49,790
10. New York $60,050

Other Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations titles

  1. 1. Editors $77,920
  2. 2. Writers and Authors $76,910
  3. 3. Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $74,990
  4. 4. Music Directors and Composers $73,710
  5. 5. Special Effects Artists and Animators $102,030
  6. 6. Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners $72,420

The OEWS band for Photographers runs from $30,820 (10th) to $91,810 (90th), about 3.0× wide, with median $44,660. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 12,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Utah at $52,140. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Special Effects Artists and Animators at $102,030. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Photographers pay-rank #33 in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

On the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations median table (36 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Photographers lands at #33, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Photographers is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Photographers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 27-4021

Utah · top state for Photographers

$52K published median

New Mexico · #2 state pay

$48K · behind Utah

Special Effects Artists and Animators

Highest-pay peer vs Photographers · $102K

Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners

Lower-pay peer beside Photographers · $72K

Compare Photographers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Photographers with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Photographers land on the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations median table? ▼
Photographers is pay-rank #33 of 36 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Craft Artists ($46K), Coaches and Scouts ($47K), Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys ($47K), Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials ($41K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do photographers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Photographers. Leading ones include: Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion…; Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors; Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects; Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for photographers? ▼
For SOC 27-4021, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.8), Speaking (3.8), Service Orientation (3.3), Reading Comprehension (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Computers and Electronics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Photographers? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $30,820 and the 90th at $91,810 for Photographers (3.0× spread). The national median is $44,660. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Photographers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Photographers is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 12,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Photographers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Photographers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Photographers? ▼
Utah ($52,140), New Mexico ($48,090), Washington ($48,050) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Photographers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 27-4021. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Photographers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics