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Photographer, editor salary
Average photographer, editor salary
$51,131
Average Photographer, Editor Salary
The average salary for a photographer/editor is approximately $51,131 per year, equating to about $25 per hour. This figure varies based on several factors, including geographic location and specific industry. For instance, photographers working in media and entertainment often earn more than those in other fields.
How Much Does a Photographer, Editor Make?
On average, entry-level photographers/editors earn around $35,000, while those with significant experience can command salaries exceeding $70,000. Experience, portfolio quality, and specialization also play essential roles in determining pay.
Where Can a Photographer, Editor Earn More?
States such as California, New York, and Florida tend to offer higher salaries due to the demand for skilled professionals in these areas. Cities like Los Angeles and New York City are particularly lucrative for creative roles, providing numerous opportunities for photographers and editors alike.
Highest Paying Cities for Photographers, Editors
- Los Angeles, CA
- New York, NY
- San Francisco, CA
- Washington, D.C.
- Seattle, WA
Understanding the salary landscape is crucial for anyone pursuing a career in this field, allowing you to make informed decisions about your career path.
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Where can a Photographer, Editor earn more?
Average photographer, editor salary by state
The average photographer, editor salary in New York, Alaska, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average photographer, editor salary states are Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Delaware.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for photographers, editor
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $75,176 | $36.14 |
| 2 | Alaska | $68,837 | $33.09 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $61,666 | $29.65 |
| 4 | Vermont | $62,990 | $30.28 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $63,053 | $30.31 |
| 6 | Utah | $58,481 | $28.12 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $59,807 | $28.75 |
| 8 | California | $60,997 | $29.33 |
| 9 | Illinois | $56,352 | $27.09 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $59,869 | $28.78 |
| 11 | Virginia | $54,169 | $26.04 |
| 12 | Texas | $54,045 | $25.98 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $51,470 | $24.75 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $59,264 | $28.49 |
| 15 | Maine | $58,059 | $27.91 |
| 16 | Alabama | $50,414 | $24.24 |
| 17 | Wyoming | $53,876 | $25.90 |
| 18 | Kentucky | $55,133 | $26.51 |
| 19 | Washington | $53,648 | $25.79 |
| 20 | Idaho | $52,048 | $25.02 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $53,954 | $25.94 |
| 22 | Maryland | $52,530 | $25.25 |
| 23 | Colorado | $51,484 | $24.75 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $49,451 | $23.77 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $50,915 | $24.48 |
| 26 | Georgia | $50,129 | $24.10 |
| 27 | Oregon | $48,967 | $23.54 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $50,736 | $24.39 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $52,912 | $25.44 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $46,963 | $22.58 |
| 31 | Kansas | $49,775 | $23.93 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $48,761 | $23.44 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $47,949 | $23.05 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $46,460 | $22.34 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $46,420 | $22.32 |
| 36 | Ohio | $45,322 | $21.79 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $45,186 | $21.72 |
| 38 | Florida | $42,593 | $20.48 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $44,992 | $21.63 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $46,518 | $22.36 |
| 41 | Michigan | $43,691 | $21.01 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $37,686 | $18.12 |
| 43 | Arizona | $45,102 | $21.68 |
| 44 | Indiana | $45,660 | $21.95 |
| 45 | Montana | $46,364 | $22.29 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $40,469 | $19.46 |
| 47 | Missouri | $36,058 | $17.34 |
| 48 | Delaware | $38,580 | $18.55 |
| 49 | Iowa | $35,416 | $17.03 |
| 50 | Nevada | $34,724 | $16.69 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $38,781 | $18.64 |
Highest paying cities for photographers, editor
The highest-paying cities for photographers, editor are New York, NY, Santa Cruz, CA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $75,468 | $36.28 |
| 2 | Santa Cruz, CA | $64,220 | $30.88 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $63,097 | $30.34 |
| 4 | Salt Lake City, UT | $58,085 | $27.93 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $56,703 | $27.26 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | $54,398 | $26.15 |
| 7 | Albuquerque, NM | $53,835 | $25.88 |
| 8 | Bowling Green, KY | $53,655 | $25.80 |
| 9 | Colorado Springs, CO | $51,657 | $24.84 |
| 10 | Rogers, AR | $51,121 | $24.58 |
| 11 | Milwaukee, WI | $51,086 | $24.56 |
| 12 | Roanoke, VA | $50,880 | $24.46 |
| 13 | Birmingham, AL | $50,319 | $24.19 |
| 14 | Atlanta, GA | $50,042 | $24.06 |
| 15 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $46,562 | $22.39 |
| 16 | Greenville, SC | $46,234 | $22.23 |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | $45,130 | $21.70 |
| 18 | New Orleans, LA | $45,095 | $21.68 |
| 19 | Ann Arbor, MI | $43,584 | $20.95 |
| 20 | Miami, FL | $42,991 | $20.67 |
Photographer, editor salary details
A photographer, editor's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $71,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a photographer, editor's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| 75th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| Average | $51,131 | $4,261 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
Highest paying photographer, editor jobs
The highest paying types of photographers, editor are executive producer, producer, and photography internship.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance Producer | $62,218 | $5,185 | $29.91 | 9,703 |
| Video Producer | $58,612 | $4,884 | $28.18 | 10,484 |
| News Producer | $54,608 | $4,551 | $26.25 | 11,336 |
| Producer | $72,202 | $6,017 | $34.71 | 10,610 |
| Video Production Internship | $33,585 | $2,799 | $16.15 | 105,041 |
| Editor & Producer | $50,200 | $4,183 | $24.13 | 14,409 |
Top companies hiring photographers, editor now:
Which companies pay photographers, editor the most?
Photographer, editor salaries at University of California, Berkeley and Entravision Communications are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average photographer, editor salary at companies like Univision Communications and TEGNA are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | $66,788 | $32.11 |
| 2 | Entravision Communications | $61,884 | $29.75 |
| 3 | Univision Communications | $61,533 | $29.58 |
| 4 | TEGNA | $55,847 | $26.85 |
| 5 | Sinclair Broadcast Group | $55,317 | $26.59 |
| 6 | University of Michigan | $55,182 | $26.53 |
| 7 | DCH Health System | $53,791 | $25.86 |
| 8 | Boston University | $51,412 | $24.72 |
| 9 | ActionLink | $49,345 | $23.72 |
| 10 | CreativeDrive | $49,214 | $23.66 |
| 11 | Paramount | $48,557 | $23.34 |
| 12 | RWS Entertainment Group | $48,244 | $23.19 |
| 13 | Rue Gilt Groupe | $47,831 | $23.00 |
| 14 | Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC | $47,812 | $22.99 |
| 15 | United Heritage Credit Union | $46,918 | $22.56 |
| 16 | Evolution Digital | $46,885 | $22.54 |
| 17 | Nexstar Media Group | $45,358 | $21.81 |
| 18 | WMSN FOX 47 News, Madison | $45,130 | $21.70 |
| 19 | Colonial Williamsburg Foundation | $40,893 | $19.66 |
| 20 | Gray Television | $40,704 | $19.57 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Photographer, Editor salary by industry
The average photographer, editor salary varies across industries:
- The average photographer, editor salary in the technology industry is $55,183, the highest of any industry.
- The average photographer, editor salary in the finance industry is $49,306.
- Photographers, editor in the retail industry earn an average salary of $39,690, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for photographers, editor
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $55,183 | $26.53 |
| 2 | Professional | $49,306 | $23.70 |
| 3 | Media | $44,043 | $21.17 |
| 4 | Retail | $39,690 | $19.08 |
High paying photographer, editor jobs
Photographer, editor salary trends
The average photographer, editor salary has risen by $15,384 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average photographer, editor earned $35,747 annually, but today, they earn $51,131 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for photographers, editor over the last decade.
Compare photographer, editor salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average photographer, editor salary over time
Compare photographer, editor salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Photographer, editor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,100 | $24.58 | +12.1% |
| 2024 | $44,900 | $21.60 | +6.3% |
| 2023 | $42,100 | $20.25 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $40,200 | $19.35 | -4.9% |
| 2021 | $42,200 | $20.29 | +6.9% |
Recently added photographer, editor salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Univision Holdings | Photographer and Editor-Temp | Sacramento, CA | 06/30/2025 | $43,827 |
| Univision Communications Inc. | Editor & Photographer | Sacramento, CA | 06/24/2025 | $43,000 |
| Nexstar Media Group Inc. | Photographer/Editor | San Diego, CA | 06/19/2025 | $45,914 |
| Hearst | Photographer Editor | Sacramento, CA | 06/19/2025 | $48,000 |
| Nbcuniversal | Photographer/Editor | Washington, DC | 05/26/2025 | $90,000 |
| Nbcuniversal | Photographer/Editor, Creative Services NBC & Telemundo NY | New York, NY | 05/22/2025 | $94,000 |
| Univision Holdings | Editor & Photographer | Chicago, IL | 04/28/2025 | $71,035 |
| Kaleidoscope | Digital Imaging Specialist | Chicago, IL | 04/28/2025 | $58,436 |
| Univision Communications Inc. | Editor & Photographer | Chicago, IL | 04/21/2025 | $71,035 |
| Hearst Communications | Photographer Editor | Sacramento, CA | 04/10/2025 | $48,000 |
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