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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

27-4021 Photographers

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject’s appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists. Excludes “Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film” (27-4031).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
50,620 2.3 % $21.85 $45,440 1.7 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.92 $12.09 $17.44 $27.53 $38.19
Annual Wage (2) $20,630 $25,150 $36,280 $57,250 $79,440


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29,230 3.89 $19.73 $41,040
Radio and Television Broadcasting 3,630 1.69 $25.01 $52,020
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 1,970 0.65 $25.40 $52,820
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,910 0.45 $34.46 $71,670
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 1,100 0.28 $23.33 $48,520

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 29,230 3.89 $19.73 $41,040
Radio and Television Broadcasting 3,630 1.69 $25.01 $52,020
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 880 1.65 $22.20 $46,170
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 1,970 0.65 $25.40 $52,820
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,910 0.45 $34.46 $71,670

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 60 0.01 $41.86 $87,070
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 500 0.10 $34.58 $71,930
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,910 0.45 $34.46 $71,670
Other Information Services 410 0.13 $33.44 $69,560
Residential Building Construction (8) (8) $33.04 $68,730


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 6,600 0.38 1.10 $26.19 $54,470
Florida 4,790 0.54 1.58 $15.46 $32,150
New York 4,680 0.49 1.43 $31.28 $65,070
Texas 3,300 0.27 0.77 $24.41 $50,770
Illinois 2,460 0.41 1.18 $19.03 $39,590




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 1,100 0.79 2.29 $14.34 $29,820
Hawaii 430 0.68 1.98 $21.05 $43,780
District of Columbia 440 0.61 1.78 $42.94 $89,310
Rhode Island 280 0.59 1.70 $28.10 $58,460
Florida 4,790 0.54 1.58 $15.46 $32,150




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 440 0.61 1.78 $42.94 $89,310
New York 4,680 0.49 1.43 $31.28 $65,070
Minnesota 730 0.25 0.73 $29.04 $60,410
Massachusetts 1,190 0.33 0.95 $28.39 $59,060
Rhode Island 280 0.59 1.70 $28.10 $58,460





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,870 0.50 1.46 $30.70 $63,850
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,500 0.56 1.63 $28.52 $59,330
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,150 0.46 1.34 $18.65 $38,790
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,570 0.57 1.66 $23.43 $48,730
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,480 1.15 3.33 $12.56 $26,120
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,210 0.33 0.96 (8) (8)
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,080 0.41 1.19 $19.50 $40,570
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,010 0.36 1.04 $28.47 $59,220
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 970 0.96 2.77 $14.57 $30,290
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 910 0.37 1.07 $29.58 $61,530




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,480 1.15 3.33 $12.56 $26,120
Hammond, LA 40 0.99 2.88 $12.24 $25,460
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 970 0.96 2.77 $14.57 $30,290
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 70 0.96 2.79 $17.79 $37,000
Asheville, NC 140 0.72 2.10 $13.64 $28,370
Urban Honolulu, HI 330 0.71 2.07 $22.66 $47,130
Rockford, IL 100 0.69 2.00 $13.40 $27,860
Springfield, MO 140 0.68 1.98 $13.91 $28,940
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 90 0.67 1.96 (8) (8)
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 220 0.66 1.92 $15.87 $33,010




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 870 0.27 0.79 $32.73 $68,080
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,870 0.50 1.46 $30.70 $63,850
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 660 0.33 0.97 $29.61 $61,600
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 910 0.37 1.07 $29.58 $61,530
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,500 0.56 1.63 $28.52 $59,330
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,010 0.36 1.04 $28.47 $59,220
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 310 0.54 1.57 $27.97 $58,180
New Haven, CT 100 0.35 1.00 $27.02 $56,200
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 600 0.31 0.89 $26.81 $55,770
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 790 0.39 1.13 $26.36 $54,820

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 100 1.32 3.82 $15.22 $31,650
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 80 0.37 1.07 $16.81 $34,960
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.42 1.21 $12.96 $26,960
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 60 0.35 1.01 (8) (8)
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 50 0.23 0.67 $20.92 $43,500

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 100 1.32 3.82 $15.22 $31,650
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 50 0.60 1.73 $15.05 $31,310
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area 30 0.44 1.27 $13.92 $28,950
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.42 1.21 $12.96 $26,960
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area 80 0.37 1.07 $16.81 $34,960

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 30 0.29 0.84 $21.32 $44,350
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 50 0.23 0.67 $20.92 $43,500
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $18.95 $39,420
Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $18.74 $38,970
Mountain North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 40 0.32 0.93 $17.52 $36,450


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020