Photographer Salary in New York
Photographers in New York earned a median of $60,050 a year ($28.87 an hour) and a mean of $71,710 in May 2025. The median is 34.5% above the U.S. median of $44,660, ranking 2nd of 50 states and territories, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $60,050
- Median hourly
- $28.87
- Mean annual
- $71,710
- Jobs on record
- 3,650
Grey needle: U.S. median, $44,660 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does New York compare on pay for photographers?
New York ranks 2nd of 50 states and territories. District of Columbia is highest at $110,970, $50,920 more than the New York median.
| State | Rank | Median | Against U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1 | $110,970 | +148% | 260 |
| New York | 2 | $60,050 | +34% | 3,650 |
| Massachusetts | 3 | $57,990 | +30% | 830 |
| Oregon | 4 | $53,630 | +20% | 510 |
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 50 states and territories with a published figure. See every state.
Does New York pay go further after prices?
Prices in New York run 7.9% above the U.S. average, so the $60,050 median buys about what $55,643 buys at average U.S. prices, above the $44,660 U.S. median. On this measure New York ranks 2nd of 49, the same place it holds before the adjustment.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. The adjustment divides pay by the state's price level.
Which areas in New York pay photographers the most?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is highest at $60,050, about the same as the New York median.
| Area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $60,050 | 3,590 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $58,050 | 150 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $50,940 | 130 |
| Syracuse, NY | $49,560 | 80 |
| Kingston, NY | $42,960 | 30 |
| Rochester, NY | $42,260 | 120 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $39,190 | 140 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Every area BLS lists for this job in New York is shown; an area that crosses state lines is listed under the first state in its BLS title.
How many photographers work in New York?
BLS counts 3,650 jobs in New York, 7.1% of the 51,760 in the U.S. That is the 4th largest count among the 50 states and territories with a published figure. That is 0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in New York, a location quotient of 1.13: the occupation's share of local jobs is 1.13 times its national share, so it is more concentrated here than in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025 and national file.
How does the New York minimum wage compare with pay for photographers?
The 10th-percentile hourly pay for photographers in New York was $18.22 in May 2025. The minimum wage there now is $17.00 an hour in New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County and $16.00 in the rest of the state. The pay figure dates from May 2025 and the minimum wage is the current rate, so the two are not from the same date. $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester; $16.00 elsewhere. Effective rate shown is the lower upstate rate.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws, updated 2026-11-05; BLS OEWS state file, May 2025, 10th-percentile hourly wage.
Related jobs in New York
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS state file, May 2025.