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This question is about photographer salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Photographer?
A good starting salary for a photographer is $21,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a photographer in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for photographers is $36,237, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a photographer can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Photographer Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level photographer earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Alaska | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| California | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Oregon | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| New York | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Vermont | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Washington | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| Hawaii | $28,000 | $2,333 | $538 | $13.46 |
| New Hampshire | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Minnesota | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| North Dakota | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Utah | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Massachusetts | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Wyoming | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Connecticut | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Idaho | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| Maine | $23,000 | $1,916 | $442 | $11.06 |
| West Virginia | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Montana | $22,000 | $1,833 | $423 | $10.58 |
| Colorado | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Wisconsin | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Nebraska | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Kentucky | $21,000 | $1,750 | $403 | $10.1 |
| Illinois | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| New Mexico | $20,000 | $1,666 | $384 | $9.62 |
| Virginia | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Maryland | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| New Jersey | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Georgia | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Kansas | $19,000 | $1,583 | $365 | $9.13 |
| Tennessee | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Texas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Arkansas | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Indiana | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| South Dakota | $18,000 | $1,500 | $346 | $8.65 |
| Pennsylvania | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Ohio | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Arizona | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Alabama | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Mississippi | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| South Carolina | $17,000 | $1,416 | $326 | $8.17 |
| Michigan | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Florida | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| North Carolina | $16,000 | $1,333 | $307 | $7.69 |
| Oklahoma | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Nevada | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Louisiana | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Iowa | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Missouri | $15,000 | $1,250 | $288 | $7.21 |
| Rhode Island | $13,000 | $1,083 | $250 | $6.25 |
| District of Columbia | $11,000 | $916 | $211 | $5.29 |
| Delaware | $11,000 | $916 | $211 | $5.29 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Photographer Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level photographer job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Jose, CA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| San Jose, CA | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Buffalo, NY | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Bremerton, WA | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Boston, MA | $30,000 | $2,500 | $576 | $14.42 |
| Charleston, WV | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Denver, CO | $26,000 | $2,166 | $500 | $12.5 |
| Chicago, IL | $25,000 | $2,083 | $480 | $12.02 |
| Clifton, NJ | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $24,000 | $2,000 | $461 | $11.54 |
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