Job Numbers and Growth About 122,000 professional photographers can be found working in the US. A high unemployment level has been the case recently. Employees without jobs were about 4%. Area Job Conditions Finding professional photographers is easiest in Cleveland (Tennessee), Anniston (Alabama), and Altoona (Pennsylvania), and by comparison more challenging in Oakland (California), Tacoma (Washington), and Lafayette (Louisiana). The pay is best in San Francisco (California), Ann Arbor (Michigan), and Springfield (Illinois) and worst in San Antonio (Texas), Prescott (Arizona), and Anniston (Alabama). Training and Education You'll generally want long-term on-the-job training for this career path. Of current professional photographers, 46% graduated from college with degrees. Some 36% of workers attened college but did not go on to get a bachelor's degree. A high school education was sufficient for 19% of employees. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career. Part-Time Work and Self-Employment Professional photographers working part-time accounted for 22% of those employed in 2008. Self-employed workers represent an estimated 54% of the total.
Professional Photographers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings) In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation. Alabama | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Anniston | $20,000 | 80 | +340% | | Auburn | $23,000 | 30 | +74% | | Birmingham | $24,000 | 170 | -26% | | Huntsville | | 110 | +24% | | Mobile | $21,000 | 60 | -23% | | Montgomery | $27,000 | 100 | +38% | | Tuscaloosa | $23,000 | 50 | +37% |
Arizona | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Phoenix | $40,000 | 930 | +12% | | Prescott | $21,000 | 30 | +23% | | Tucson | $43,000 | 140 | -13% |
Arkansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Fayetteville | $32,000 | 100 | +18% | | Little Rock | $26,000 | 130 | -12% |
California | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bakersfield | | 120 | +4% | | Chico | $26,000 | 40 | +45% | | Fresno | $31,000 | 120 | -17% | | Modesto | $29,000 | 100 | +44% | | Oakland | $38,000 | 250 | -45% | | Riverside | $35,000 | 400 | -30% | | Sacramento | $40,000 | 310 | -21% | | San Diego | $34,000 | 440 | -26% | | San Francisco | $62,000 | 560 | +26% | | Santa Ana | $41,000 | 590 | -13% | | Santa Cruz | $43,000 | 30 | -16% | | Vallejo | $32,000 | 50 | -2% | | Visalia | $35,000 | 50 | -11% |
Colorado | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boulder | $35,000 | 100 | +47% | | Colorado Springs | $30,000 | 190 | +75% | | Denver | $39,000 | 580 | +4% | | Fort Collins | $38,000 | 60 | +20% |
Connecticut | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bridgeport | $32,000 | 260 | +35% | | Hartford | $38,000 | 280 | +9% | | New Haven | $40,000 | 120 | -1% | | Norwich | $30,000 | 60 | +16% |
Delaware | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Dover | $26,000 | 40 | +88% | | Wilmington | $32,000 | 90 | -37% |
District of Columbia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Washington | $47,000 | 960 | -7% |
Florida | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Cape Coral | $25,000 | 90 | +0% | | Deltona | $32,000 | 50 | -24% | | Fort Lauderdale | $30,000 | 460 | +42% | | Gainesville | $23,000 | 50 | +5% | | Jacksonville | $32,000 | 300 | +13% | | Lakeland | $28,000 | 50 | -40% | | Miami | $42,000 | 730 | +66% | | Orlando | $29,000 | 470 | +1% | | Palm Bay | $35,000 | 110 | +31% | | Pensacola | $28,000 | 90 | +43% | | Sarasota | $29,000 | 100 | -12% | | Tallahassee | $32,000 | 100 | +45% | | Tampa | $38,000 | 350 | -35% | | West Palm Beach | $32,000 | 400 | +69% |
Georgia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Atlanta | $25,000 | 1,520 | +44% | | Augusta | $30,000 | 80 | -9% | | Columbus | $29,000 | 40 | -11% | | Macon | $28,000 | 30 | -26% | | Savannah | $27,000 | 70 | +11% |
Hawaii | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Honolulu | $29,000 | 350 | +83% |
Idaho | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boise | $27,000 | 110 | -6% | | Idaho Falls | $24,000 | 60 | +230% |
Illinois | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Chicago | $56,000 | 1,860 | +9% | | Peoria | $28,000 | 70 | -3% | | Springfield | $55,000 | 40 | -6% |
Indiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bloomington | $29,000 | 50 | +83% | | Elkhart | $22,000 | 40 | -26% | | Evansville | $35,000 | 60 | -19% | | Fort Wayne | $28,000 | 110 | +21% | | Gary | $24,000 | 170 | +40% | | Indianapolis | $32,000 | 930 | +134% | | South Bend | $25,000 | 120 | +111% |
Iowa | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ames | $25,000 | 40 | +181% | | Cedar Rapids | $27,000 | 50 | -11% | | Davenport | $26,000 | 180 | +130% | | Des Moines | $27,000 | 370 | +159% | | Sioux City | $24,000 | 40 | +41% | | Waterloo | $25,000 | 50 | +44% |
Kansas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Topeka | $26,000 | 110 | +141% | | Wichita | $29,000 | 160 | +20% |
Kentucky | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bowling Green | $25,000 | 50 | +123% | | Lexington | $35,000 | 150 | +43% | | Louisville | $29,000 | 260 | -5% |
Louisiana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Baton Rouge | $28,000 | 110 | -32% | | Lafayette | $27,000 | 30 | -51% | | New Orleans | $24,000 | 250 | +11% | | Shreveport | $31,000 | 90 | +21% |
Maine | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Portland | $28,000 | 90 | +4% |
Maryland | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Baltimore | $33,000 | 830 | +43% | | Bethesda | $34,000 | 270 | +7% | | Hagerstown | $24,000 | 50 | +23% | | Salisbury | $21,000 | 40 | +97% |
Massachusetts | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Boston | $41,000 | 750 | -2% | | Framingham | $27,000 | 210 | +206% | | Springfield | $30,000 | 160 | +23% | | Taunton | | 40 | +126% | | Worcester | | 70 | -35% |
Michigan | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ann Arbor | $55,000 | 60 | -15% | | Flint | $28,000 | 50 | -13% | | Grand Rapids | $35,000 | 270 | +63% | | Lansing | $34,000 | 100 | +21% |
Minnesota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Duluth | $34,000 | 60 | +13% | | Minneapolis | $57,000 | 1,500 | +88% | | St Cloud | $37,000 | 30 | -28% |
Mississippi | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Jackson | $31,000 | 90 | -18% |
Missouri | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Columbia | | 50 | +51% | | Jefferson City | $24,000 | 40 | +47% | | Joplin | $19,000 | 40 | +24% | | Kansas City | $40,000 | 550 | +20% | | Springfield | $26,000 | 60 | -28% | | St Joseph | $26,000 | 30 | +56% | | St Louis | $34,000 | 900 | +49% |
Montana | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Missoula | | 40 | +100% |
Nebraska | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Lincoln | $25,000 | 70 | +1% | | Omaha | $29,000 | 300 | +47% |
Nevada | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Las Vegas | $36,000 | 930 | +127% | | Reno | $40,000 | 70 | -21% |
New Hampshire | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Manchester | $31,000 | 30 | -30% | | Nashua | $35,000 | 50 | -14% |
New Jersey | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Atlantic City | $38,000 | 80 | +28% | | Camden | $42,000 | 170 | -27% | | Edison | $40,000 | 320 | -30% | | Newark | $35,000 | 350 | -22% | | Trenton | $34,000 | 60 | -35% |
New Mexico | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albuquerque | $38,000 | 180 | +5% |
New York | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Albany | $36,000 | 170 | -12% | | Buffalo | $29,000 | 250 | +5% | | Glens Falls | $38,000 | 40 | +96% | | Nassau | $30,000 | 740 | +33% | | New York | $52,000 | 2,050 | -10% | | Poughkeepsie | $27,000 | 70 | -32% | | Syracuse | $28,000 | 200 | +48% | | Utica | $30,000 | 30 | -44% |
North Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Asheville | $35,000 | 90 | +19% | | Charlotte | $33,000 | 300 | -24% | | Durham | $32,000 | 180 | +52% | | Fayetteville | $29,000 | 50 | -1% | | Greensboro | $34,000 | 220 | +35% | | Hickory | $28,000 | 60 | -13% | | Raleigh | | 330 | +46% | | Wilmington | $26,000 | 50 | -18% |
North Dakota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Fargo | $31,000 | 140 | +191% |
Ohio | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Akron | $27,000 | 130 | -12% | | Canton | $26,000 | 130 | +76% | | Cincinnati | $25,000 | 700 | +52% | | Cleveland | $30,000 | 550 | +17% | | Columbus | $32,000 | 360 | -13% | | Dayton | $33,000 | 210 | +23% | | Toledo | $23,000 | 150 | +10% | | Youngstown | $24,000 | 140 | +39% |
Oklahoma | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Oklahoma City | $22,000 | 390 | +56% | | Tulsa | $30,000 | 150 | -22% |
Oregon | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Eugene | $34,000 | 70 | +11% | | Portland | $38,000 | 390 | -15% | | Salem | $32,000 | 80 | +26% |
Pennsylvania | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Allentown | $33,000 | 160 | +8% | | Altoona | $31,000 | 80 | +243% | | Erie | $31,000 | 40 | -23% | | Harrisburg | $36,000 | 80 | -42% | | Johnstown | $27,000 | 40 | +82% | | Lancaster | $41,000 | 170 | +67% | | Philadelphia | $37,000 | 830 | -1% | | Pittsburgh | $30,000 | 430 | -15% | | Reading | $36,000 | 70 | +0% | | Scranton | $36,000 | 160 | +44% | | State College | $37,000 | 30 | +37% | | York | $28,000 | 90 | +17% |
Rhode Island | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Providence | $40,000 | 340 | +36% |
South Carolina | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Anderson | $38,000 | 30 | +27% | | Charleston | $33,000 | 70 | -45% | | Columbia | $29,000 | 160 | +4% | | Greenville | $33,000 | 120 | -9% | | Myrtle Beach | $22,000 | 140 | +184% | | Spartanburg | $36,000 | 30 | -41% |
South Dakota | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Rapid City | $24,000 | 80 | +225% | | Sioux Falls | $32,000 | 50 | -14% |
Tennessee | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Chattanooga | $25,000 | 180 | +79% | | Cleveland | $23,000 | 70 | +433% | | Johnson City | $25,000 | 60 | +101% | | Kingsport | $24,000 | 40 | -15% | | Knoxville | $32,000 | 210 | +44% | | Memphis | $26,000 | 200 | -27% | | Nashville | $32,000 | 280 | -17% |
Texas | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Abilene | $27,000 | 40 | +64% | | Amarillo | $28,000 | 50 | +22% | | Austin | $35,000 | 500 | +48% | | Beaumont | $28,000 | 50 | -25% | | Corpus Christi | $28,000 | 70 | -6% | | Dallas | $36,000 | 930 | -1% | | El Paso | $25,000 | 120 | +5% | | Fort Worth | $34,000 | 520 | +36% | | Houston | $27,000 | 1,400 | +22% | | Killeen | $24,000 | 30 | -39% | | Lubbock | $28,000 | 90 | +79% | | Mcallen | $25,000 | 90 | -4% | | San Antonio | $22,000 | 390 | +4% | | Tyler | $26,000 | 60 | +63% |
Utah | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Ogden | $30,000 | 60 | -30% | | Provo | $26,000 | 60 | -14% | | Salt Lake City | $36,000 | 230 | -17% |
Vermont | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Burlington | $40,000 | 30 | -34% |
Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Blacksburg | $31,000 | 40 | +67% | | Richmond | $36,000 | 170 | -36% | | Roanoke | $34,000 | 80 | +20% | | Virginia Beach | $26,000 | 420 | +26% |
Washington | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Bremerton | $28,000 | 60 | +79% | | Kennewick | $30,000 | 40 | +10% | | Olympia | $26,000 | 30 | -21% | | Seattle | $36,000 | 840 | +31% | | Spokane | $37,000 | 90 | +0% | | Tacoma | $34,000 | 60 | -49% |
West Virginia | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Charleston | $28,000 | 60 | -2% | | Huntington | $25,000 | 90 | +92% |
Wisconsin | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Appleton | $39,000 | 50 | +6% | | Eau Claire | $23,000 | 40 | +30% | | Green Bay | $34,000 | 100 | +41% | | La Crosse | $34,000 | 50 | +84% | | Madison | $45,000 | 200 | +38% | | Milwaukee | $38,000 | 340 | -10% | | Oshkosh | $39,000 | 40 | +18% | | Wausau | $34,000 | 40 | +51% |
Wyoming | City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|
| Casper | $36,000 | 40 | +182% |
Salary and employment data obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Individual salaries depend on location, education and career background. Thanks to CityTownInfo.com for this professional photographer schools and jobs info.
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