Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

27-4021 Photographers

Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects, using digital or film cameras and equipment. May develop negatives or use computer software to produce finished images and prints. Includes scientific photographers, aerial photographers, and photojournalists.


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

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
54,410 1.9 % $17.59 $36,580 1.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.39 $9.75 $13.88 $21.32 $31.50
Annual Wage (2) $17,450 $20,270 $28,860 $44,340 $65,510


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

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 37,230 6.28 $16.02 $33,330
Radio and Television Broadcasting 4,730 2.23 $21.42 $44,550
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 3,930 0.81 $19.69 $40,940
Other Personal Services 940 0.39 $23.04 $47,930
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 700 0.02 $21.08 $43,840

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 37,230 6.28 $16.02 $33,330
Radio and Television Broadcasting 4,730 2.23 $21.42 $44,550
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 580 1.21 $19.81 $41,210
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers 3,930 0.81 $19.69 $40,940
Other Personal Services 940 0.39 $23.04 $47,930

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 50 0.01 $31.34 $65,190
Motion Picture and Video Industries 410 0.12 $30.63 $63,710
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 50 0.06 $28.64 $59,570
Offices of Physicians 190 0.01 $26.32 $54,750
Scientific Research and Development Services 80 0.01 $26.27 $54,650


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

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 4,840 0.34 0.81 $22.30 $46,390
New York 4,150 0.49 1.16 $24.64 $51,240
Texas 3,820 0.37 0.87 $15.78 $32,830
Florida 3,660 0.51 1.21 $14.40 $29,960
Illinois 2,980 0.53 1.26 $21.55 $44,820




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)
Hawaii 530 0.93 2.18 $16.50 $34,320
Nevada 660 0.59 1.40 $20.26 $42,140
Indiana 1,540 0.56 1.31 $13.96 $29,030
Missouri 1,430 0.55 1.30 $13.05 $27,150
Rhode Island 250 0.54 1.28 $16.44 $34,200




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 310 0.48 1.13 $30.94 $64,350
Connecticut 450 0.28 0.67 $28.59 $59,470
New York 4,150 0.49 1.16 $24.64 $51,240
California 4,840 0.34 0.81 $22.30 $46,390
Illinois 2,980 0.53 1.26 $21.55 $44,820





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-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,860 0.57 1.33 $27.79 $57,790
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 2,080 0.58 1.37 $23.49 $48,870
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,350 0.35 0.83 $25.38 $52,780
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,240 0.56 1.31 $13.42 $27,910
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 1,180 0.46 1.09 $17.89 $37,220
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 990 0.58 1.36 $23.99 $49,890
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 860 0.51 1.20 $20.32 $42,270
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 830 0.36 0.85 $25.26 $52,550
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 790 0.81 1.92 $13.66 $28,420
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 740 0.36 0.86 $13.53 $28,140




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)
Tallahassee, FL 450 2.84 6.68 $9.92 $20,640
Burlington, NC 120 2.15 5.07 $11.71 $24,350
Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV 60 1.52 3.59 $9.98 $20,760
Grand Junction, CO 60 1.13 2.66 $17.10 $35,570
Bowling Green, KY 60 1.09 2.58 $14.08 $29,280
Salisbury, MD 60 1.08 2.55 $10.62 $22,080
Honolulu, HI 440 1.03 2.42 $16.35 $34,010
Goldsboro, NC 40 1.01 2.38 $11.24 $23,370
Rapid City, SD 60 0.96 2.27 $13.58 $28,240
Santa Fe, NM 60 0.95 2.25 $22.37 $46,530




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)
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 150 0.37 0.87 $39.00 $81,130
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 460 0.48 1.14 $32.01 $66,580
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 120 0.22 0.52 $29.12 $60,570
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 2,860 0.57 1.33 $27.79 $57,790
Binghamton, NY (8) (8) (8) $27.53 $57,250
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,350 0.35 0.83 $25.38 $52,780
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 830 0.36 0.85 $25.26 $52,550
Glens Falls, NY 50 0.90 2.11 $24.96 $51,920
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 990 0.58 1.36 $23.99 $49,890
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 2,080 0.58 1.37 $23.49 $48,870

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)
Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area 210 0.79 1.86 $11.49 $23,910
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 100 0.64 1.51 $17.16 $35,700
Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area 90 1.25 2.96 $15.33 $31,890
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 90 0.42 1.00 $14.24 $29,620
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 90 0.60 1.42 $11.32 $23,540

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 90 1.25 2.96 $15.33 $31,890
Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area 210 0.79 1.86 $11.49 $23,910
Central Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 70 0.71 1.68 $9.51 $19,790
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 0.68 1.60 $16.46 $34,240
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 1.57 $10.85 $22,570

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)
Central New York nonmetropolitan area 60 0.48 1.13 $23.91 $49,730
Low Country South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 30 0.28 0.66 $18.76 $39,020
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 100 0.64 1.51 $17.16 $35,700
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 40 0.23 0.54 $17.04 $35,440
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $16.57 $34,460


About May 2011 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 mean 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012