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Lead photographer salary

Average lead photographer salary

$35,976

$17.3 hourly rate

Entry-level lead photographer salary
$22,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Lead Photographer Salaries

The average salary for a Lead Photographer is approximately $35,976 per year, translating to about $17 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, Lead Photographers in high-demand areas typically earn more than those in smaller markets.

Factors Influencing Salary

Several factors influence salary levels, including:

  • Geographic Location: States like California and New York often offer higher pay due to cost of living and demand for photographers.
  • Experience: More experienced photographers may command higher salaries, showcasing their advanced skills and portfolio.
  • Industry: Photographers working in the corporate sector or specialized fields like fashion or advertising often see better compensation.

Job Opportunities

As a Lead Photographer, you can find opportunities in various sectors, from event photography to commercial projects. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for making informed career decisions. Utilize resources like Zippia to explore job openings and salary trends tailored to your location and expertise.

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Where can a Lead Photographer earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
74k
54k
34k
14k
-6k
Columbus, OH$56,230
Las Vegas, NV$23,761
Compare salary by company
Vs
66k
46k
26k
6k
Syracuse University$52,271
Magic Memories$35,633

Lead photographer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a lead photographer typically falls between $35,976 and $61,363.
zippia
$35,976yearly
glassdoor[1]
$61,363yearly
comparably[2]
$53,794yearly

Average lead photographer salary by state

The highest-paying states for lead photographers are New York, Connecticut, and California. The lowest average lead photographer salary states are Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Florida.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for lead photographers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Utah$38,249$18.39
2New Hampshire$39,404$18.94
3Alaska$40,140$19.30
4Wyoming$36,481$17.54
5Connecticut$43,991$21.15
6New York$60,660$29.16
7Vermont$40,792$19.61
8West Virginia$40,932$19.68
9Kentucky$35,408$17.02
10California$43,602$20.96
11Massachusetts$42,719$20.54
12Minnesota$40,168$19.31
13Pennsylvania$34,782$16.72
14Illinois$37,603$18.08
15New Mexico$35,357$17.00
16Idaho$34,116$16.40
17New Jersey$39,113$18.80
18Arkansas$32,593$15.67
19Maryland$38,765$18.64
20Maine$36,748$17.67
21Ohio$31,371$15.08
22Virginia$37,573$18.06
23Kansas$32,484$15.62
24Wisconsin$34,644$16.66
25North Dakota$35,352$17.00
26Michigan$31,057$14.93
27Tennessee$31,099$14.95
28Washington$35,639$17.13
29South Dakota$31,281$15.04
30Montana$31,418$15.10
31Nebraska$31,559$15.17
32Texas$33,038$15.88
33Oregon$32,491$15.62
34Alabama$30,813$14.81
35Colorado$34,603$16.64
36Hawaii$30,244$14.54
37Rhode Island$26,961$12.96
38Arizona$30,344$14.59
39Mississippi$29,825$14.34
40District of Columbia$27,583$13.26
41Nevada$23,840$11.46
42Indiana$30,188$14.51
43Oklahoma$25,965$12.48
44Georgia$30,422$14.63
45North Carolina$27,891$13.41
46South Carolina$27,757$13.34
47Delaware$28,748$13.82
48Missouri$23,345$11.22
49Florida$24,454$11.76
50Louisiana$26,946$12.95
51Iowa$23,199$11.15

Highest paying cities for lead photographers

The highest-paying cities for lead photographers are Syracuse, NY, Sacramento, CA, and Minneapolis, MN.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Syracuse, NY$56,230$27.03
2Sacramento, CA$45,126$21.70
3Minneapolis, MN$40,174$19.31
4Baltimore, MD$39,013$18.76
5Canton, OH$33,294$16.01
6Scottsdale, AZ$30,457$14.64
7Tallahassee, FL$24,910$11.98
8Las Vegas, NV$23,761$11.42

Lead photographer salary details

A lead photographer's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $57,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average lead photographer salary graph
Average lead photographer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a lead photographer's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$57,000$4,750$27
75th Percentile$45,000$3,750$22
Average$35,976$2,998$17
25th Percentile$28,000$2,333$13
10th Percentile$22,000$1,833$11

Highest paying lead photographer jobs

The highest paying types of lead photographers are school photographer, photography assistant, and assistant manager and photographer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Photography Internship$67,376$5,615$32.3952,675
Photographer, Editor$51,131$4,261$24.5811,039
Sports Photographer$27,958$2,330$13.446,917
School Photographer$98,357$8,196$47.2925,482
Portrait Photographer$27,728$2,311$13.331,707
Owner/Photographer$39,992$3,333$19.2347,716

Top companies hiring lead photographers now:

  1. Google jobs (3)
  2. Kodak jobs (13)
  3. Stitch Fix jobs (4)
  4. Magic Memories jobs (9)
  5. Sears Holdings jobs (8)

Which companies pay lead photographers the most?

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Syracuse University$52,271$25.13
2Target$38,816$18.66
3Magic Memories$35,633$17.13

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$38,000$37,000$36,000$35,000$34,000$33,000
MaleFemale

Lead Photographer salary by industry

The average lead photographer salary varies across industries:

  • The average lead photographer salary in the manufacturing industry is $39,400, the highest of any industry.
  • The average lead photographer salary in the finance industry is $37,056.
  • Lead photographers in the automotive industry earn an average salary of $34,619, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for lead photographers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Manufacturing$39,400$18.94
2Professional$37,056$17.82
3Retail$35,653$17.14
4Start-up$35,521$17.08
5Media$34,956$16.81
6Education$34,786$16.72
7Automotive$34,619$16.64

High paying lead photographer jobs

Lead photographer salary trends

The average lead photographer salary has risen by $10,824 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead photographer earned $25,152 annually, but today, they earn $35,976 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for lead photographers over the last decade.

Compare lead photographer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average lead photographer salary over time

Compare lead photographer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Lead photographer salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$36,000$17.30+12.1%
2025$31,600$15.20+6.3%
2024$29,600$14.25+4.4%
2023$28,300$13.61-4.9%
2022$29,700$14.28+6.9%

Recently added lead photographer salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Inter-State Studio & Publishing CoLead PhotographerReynoldsburg, OH06/20/2025$37,566
Haddad BrandsE-Commerce Flats Photographer LeadNew York, NY05/12/2025$60,000
YMCA Twin CitiesArt and Crafts Lead/Photographer (Overnight Camp ST. Croix)Hudson, WI04/11/2025$22,696
Sharpshooter ImagingLead Retail Sales Photographer-SEA Life Grapevine Aquarium or Legoland Discovery CenterGrapevine, TX03/25/2025$29,740
310 NutritionTiktok Creator Studio Lead Videographer/PhotographerKnoxville, TN02/16/2025$55,000
Inter-State Studio & Publishing CoLead PhotographerReynoldsburg, OH01/13/2025$37,566
Boomn LLCLead PhotographerOverland Park, KS12/20/2024$60,000
Pix for My WallLead PhotographerMiami, FL12/12/2024$43,827
Nuby Happy Hands Teething MittenLead PhotographerMonroe, LA10/24/2024$50,000
Magic Memories GroupLead Retail Sales Photographer-Grand Canyon Railway Polar ExpressTucson, AZ10/15/2024$33,392

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