Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9151

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Median pay sits 45% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Plant Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, Gas Plant Operators, Chemical Plant and System Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators: Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , Gas Plant Operators ($88K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9151 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software
  2. 2. Create prints according to customer specifications and laboratory protocols
  3. 3. Produce color or black-and-white photographs, negatives, or slides, applying standard photographic reproduction techniques and procedures
  4. 4. Set or adjust machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, or material requirements
  5. 5. Review computer-processed digital images for quality
  6. 6. Operate scanners or related computer equipment to digitize negatives, photographic prints, or other images
  7. 7. Fill tanks of processing machines with solutions such as developer, dyes, stop-baths, fixers, bleaches, or washes
  8. 8. Measure and mix chemicals to prepare solutions for processing, according to formulas
  9. 9. Load digital images onto computers directly from cameras or from storage devices, such as flash memory cards or universal serial bus (USB…
  10. 10. Operate special equipment to perform tasks such as transferring film to videotape or producing photographic enlargements
  11. 11. Examine developed prints for defects, such as broken lines, spots, or blurs
  12. 12. Read work orders to determine required processes, techniques, materials, or equipment

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9151 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.5 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.5
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.4
  3. 3. Quality Control Analysis 3.4
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.3
  5. 5. Speaking 3.3
  6. 6. Service Orientation 3.3
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.1
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.9
  2. 2. Computers and Electronics 3.7
  3. 3. Production and Processing 3.1
  4. 4. English Language 3.1
  5. 5. Mechanical 2.6
  6. 6. Chemistry 2.6
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-45%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $40,610/yr
$41K
National median
↓ -3%
Growth 2024-2034
1,500
Annual openings
4,800
Estimated US jobs
Power Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

1. New Jersey $43,300
2. Virginia $47,380
3. Maryland $45,600
4. Wisconsin $46,480
5. California $47,320
6. Delaware $42,220
7. Florida $46,840
8. Washington $46,280
9. Iowa $43,310
10. New York $57,760

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  2. 2. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  3. 3. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  4. 4. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  5. 5. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  6. 6. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators sits 45% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $40,610.

Employment Projections expect -3% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,500 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: New Jersey at $43,300. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Plant Operators at $102,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay-rank #85 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators lands at #85, 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.

SOC 51-9151 · national median $40,610 · lower third of Production Occupations (#85/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9151

New Jersey · top state for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

$43K published median

Virginia · #2 state pay

$47K · behind New Jersey

Power Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators · $102K

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Lower-pay peer beside Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators · $63K

Compare Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Against another occupation

Power Plant Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators is pay-rank #85 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Butchers and Meat Cutters ($40K), Slaughterers and Meat Packers ($40K), Production Workers, All Other ($40K), Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders ($41K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do photographic process workers and processing machine operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators. Leading ones include: Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software; Create prints according to customer specifications and laboratory protocols; Produce color or black-and-white photographs, negatives, or slides, applying standard photographic reproduction techniques and procedures; Set or adjust machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, or material requirements. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for photographic process workers and processing machine operators? ▼
For SOC 51-9151, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.5), Active Listening (3.4), Quality Control Analysis (3.4), Reading Comprehension (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $40,610 as the national median for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators. The published 10th-90th range is $30,090 to $68,800. Beside Power Plant Operators ($102,040), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators is -3%. Projected annual openings: about 1,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators? ▼
New Jersey ($43,300), Virginia ($47,380), Maryland ($45,600) 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 Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9151. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators. 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