BLS metro-level wage data places Photographers pay in Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL at a median of $43,100 per year ($20.72/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $44,660, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island pays 3% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 30 photographerss are employed across the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA in SOC 27-4021.

The Davenport-Moline-Rock Island pay distribution spans from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $103,410 at the 90th — a 3.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $34,880 and the 75th at $48,230, so half of Davenport-Moline-Rock Island-based photographerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide IA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.