Key Factors That Influence Photographer I Salaries
A Photographer I's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Photographer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Photographer I's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Photographer I (0-2 years): $59,140
Photographer II (2-4 years): $70,867
Photographer III (4-7 years): $87,149
Photography Studio Manager (7+ years): $108,028
Job Role
Years of Experience
Average Salary
Photographer I
0-2 years
$59,140
Photographer II
2-4 years
$70,867
Photographer III
4-7 years
$87,149
Photography Studio Manager
7+ years
$108,028
$59,140Photograp...
$70,867Photograp...
$87,149Photograp...
$108,028Photograp...
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Photographer I Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Photographer Is.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $74,593
San Francisco: $73,777
Oakland: $72,222
San Jose, CA$74,593
San Francisco, CA$73,777
Oakland, CA$72,222
New York, NY$68,093
Paramus, NJ$67,265
Queens Village, NY$67,262
Passaic, NJ$67,206
Bergenfield, NJ$67,201
Stamford, CT$67,071
Huntington, NY$67,046
Newark, NJ$66,609
Bridgeport, CT$66,485
Vallejo, CA$66,367
New Brunswick, NJ$66,343
Petaluma, CA$66,308
Middlesex, NJ$66,195
Somerset, NJ$66,154
Santa Cruz, CA$66,077
Boston, MA$65,716
Monterey, CA$65,509
Seattle, WA$65,373
Santa Rosa, CA$65,362
Los Angeles, CA$65,344
Juneau, AK$65,190
Washington, DC$65,125
Orange, CA$64,914
Santa Ana, CA$64,758
Long Beach, CA$64,699
Anaheim, CA$64,687
Anchorage, AK$64,658
Santa Maria, CA$64,480
Everett, WA$64,469
Danbury, CT$64,260
Bremerton, WA$64,179
Tacoma, WA$63,966
New Suffolk, NY$63,965
Sacramento, CA$63,948
Santa Barbara, CA$63,883
Trenton, NJ$63,818
San Diego, CA$63,818
Brockton, MA$63,753
Fairbanks, AK$63,608
Lompoc, CA$63,457
Lowell, MA$63,409
Ventura, CA$63,398
Nashua, NH$63,386
Stockton, CA$63,380
Modesto, CA$62,949
Poughkeepsie, NY$62,819
Olympia, WA$62,706
Kennewick, WA$62,706
New Haven, CT$62,682
Lawrence, MA$62,470
Hartford, CT$62,410
Riverside, CA$62,399
New Bedford, MA$62,339
Richland, WA$62,339
Bakersfield, CA$62,257
San Bernardino, CA$62,233
New Britain, CT$62,227
Atlantic City, NJ$62,227
New London, CT$62,203
Norwich, CT$62,186
Portsmouth, NH$62,174
Boulder, CO$62,049
Portland, OR$61,967
Worcester, MA$61,961
Minneapolis, MN$61,778
Philadelphia, PA$61,695
Honolulu, HI$61,500
Saint Paul, MN$61,471
Vineland, NJ$61,458
Providence, RI$61,287
Chicago, IL$61,115
Bellingham, WA$61,044
Springfield, MA$60,997
Baltimore, MD$60,979
Chico, CA$60,831
Pittsfield, MA$60,672
Manchester, NH$60,559
Spokane, WA$60,299
Denver, CO$60,293
Albany, NY$60,015
Troy, NY$59,992
Nassau, NY$59,928
Schenectady, NY$59,867
Wilmington, DE$59,820
Burlington, VT$59,737
Salem, OR$59,714
Portland, ME$59,530
Yakima, WA$59,471
Rochester, MN$59,288
Reno, NV$59,258
Fresno, CA$59,258
Milwaukee, WI$59,205
Detroit, MI$59,146
Ann Arbor, MI$59,136
Allentown, PA$59,128
Colorado Springs, CO$59,028
Syracuse, NY$58,998
Carson City, NV$58,998
Houston, TX$58,915
Eugene, OR$58,886
Gary, IN$58,815
Springfield, OR$58,767
Bismarck, ND$58,756
Galveston, TX$58,714
Medford, OR$58,625
Fort Collins, CO$58,602
Concord, NH$58,572
Austin, TX$58,555
Mesa, AZ$58,430
Reading, PA$58,424
Phoenix, AZ$58,418
Dallas, TX$58,401
Saint Cloud, MN$58,344
Madison, WI$58,265
Utica, NY$58,105
Rochester, NY$58,010
Des Moines, IA$58,005
Raleigh, NC$57,999
Atlanta, GA$57,910
Battle Creek, MI$57,892
Salt Lake City, UT$57,874
Lancaster, PA$57,786
Harrisburg, PA$57,703
Kansas City, MO$57,644
Champaign, IL$57,632
Kansas City, KS$57,632
Fort Worth, TX$57,626
Columbus, OH$57,616
Boca Raton, FL$57,602
Pittsburgh, PA$57,579
Richmond, VA$57,555
Indianapolis, IN$57,543
Cleveland, OH$57,537
Las Vegas, NV$57,466
Cincinnati, OH$57,466
Petersburg, VA$57,378
Huntsville, AL$57,289
Lansing, MI$57,249
Lebanon, PA$57,242
Pueblo, CO$57,236
Appleton, WI$57,218
Buffalo, NY$57,194
Dayton, OH$57,177
Racine, WI$57,165
Charlotte, NC$57,159
Saint Louis, MO$57,141
York, PA$57,106
Elkhart, IN$57,106
Gastonia, NC$57,094
Billings, MT$57,080
Beaumont, TX$57,064
Lorain, OH$57,052
Benton Harbor, MI$57,041
Toledo, OH$57,029
Binghamton, NY$56,999
Rock Hill, SC$56,993
Rockford, IL$56,964
Springfield, IL$56,940
Elyria, OH$56,934
Fargo, ND$56,934
Flagstaff, AZ$56,893
Fort Lauderdale, FL$56,857
Duluth, MN$56,822
Miami, FL$56,822
Cheyenne, WY$56,780
Grand Forks, ND$56,780
Bangor, ME$56,650
Cedar Rapids, IA$56,585
Durham, NC$56,560
Louisville, KY$56,556
Grand Rapids, MI$56,544
Hialeah, FL$56,538
Casper, WY$56,455
Scranton, PA$56,384
New Orleans, LA$56,366
Virginia Beach, VA$56,360
Akron, OH$56,331
Peoria, IL$56,254
Sarasota, FL$56,242
Nashville, TN$56,201
Omaha, NE$56,201
Green Bay, WI$56,201
Baton Rouge, LA$56,171
Charleston, SC$56,159
Jamestown, NY$56,130
Davenport, IA$56,130
Tucson, AZ$56,100
Saint Petersburg, FL$56,065
Tampa, FL$56,053
Evansville, IN$56,017
Port Arthur, TX$56,017
Bradenton, FL$55,994
Santa Fe, NM$55,887
Orlando, FL$55,781
Clearwater, FL$55,763
Canton, OH$55,639
La Crosse, WI$55,639
Albuquerque, NM$55,603
Newport News, VA$55,598
High Point, NC$55,580
Ogden, UT$55,556
Corpus Christi, TX$55,509
Norfolk, VA$55,473
Laramie, WY$55,473
Rock Island, IL$55,438
Saginaw, MI$55,426
Jacksonville, FL$55,420
Salisbury, NC$55,408
Boise, ID$55,396
Moline, IL$55,367
Fort Myers, FL$55,349
Memphis, TN$55,337
Tulsa, OK$55,308
Waterloo, IA$55,272
Spartanburg, SC$55,213
Lincoln, NE$55,184
Fort Wayne, IN$55,172
Provo, UT$55,166
Cedar Falls, IA$55,095
San Antonio, TX$55,071
Greensboro, NC$55,048
South Bend, IN$55,042
Savannah, GA$54,977
Muskegon, MI$54,953
Birmingham, AL$54,947
Winston Salem, NC$54,918
Lake Charles, LA$54,775
Anderson, IN$54,764
Lexington, KY$54,746
Augusta, GA$54,728
Greenville, SC$54,728
Lima, OH$54,681
Wichita, KS$54,675
Tuscaloosa, AL$54,675
Columbia, SC$54,622
Springfield, OH$54,610
Asheville, NC$54,515
Bloomington, IN$54,474
Knoxville, TN$54,261
Shreveport, LA$54,255
Wilmington, NC$54,178
Roanoke, VA$54,178
Topeka, KS$54,072
Frankfort, KY$54,065
Oklahoma City, OK$54,024
Chillicothe, OH$54,001
Longview, TX$53,995
Melbourne, FL$53,989
Sioux Falls, SD$53,894
Mobile, AL$53,888
Terre Haute, IN$53,865
Altoona, PA$53,829
Amarillo, TX$53,788
Killeen, TX$53,770
Fayetteville, AR$53,723
Chattanooga, TN$53,705
Sioux City, IA$53,652
Idaho Falls, ID$53,640
Lynchburg, VA$53,593
Gainesville, FL$53,516
Portsmouth, OH$53,486
Little Rock, AR$53,474
Lafayette, LA$53,451
Youngstown, OH$53,451
Daytona Beach, FL$53,415
Clarksville, TN$53,409
Pensacola, FL$53,403
Temple, TX$53,399
Hopkinsville, KY$53,226
Erie, PA$53,214
Florence, SC$53,191
Charleston, WV$53,096
Great Falls, MT$53,066
Macon, GA$52,984
Tallahassee, FL$52,978
Fayetteville, NC$52,966
Waco, TX$52,954
Helena, MT$52,913
Pine Bluff, AR$52,890
Vincennes, IN$52,818
Lubbock, TX$52,794
Alamogordo, NM$52,759
Twin Falls, ID$52,706
Rapid City, SD$52,688
Jackson, MS$52,581
Huntington, WV$52,577
Greenville, MS$52,575
Parkersburg, WV$52,515
Montgomery, AL$52,504
Wichita Falls, TX$52,445
Springfield, MO$52,445
Biloxi, MS$52,416
Monroe, LA$52,357
Johnstown, PA$52,315
Sumter, SC$52,292
Columbus, GA$52,286
Pascagoula, MS$52,173
Abilene, TX$52,173
Kingsport, TN$52,020
Albany, GA$52,020
Gulfport, MS$52,002
Alexandria, LA$51,807
Fort Smith, AR$51,659
El Paso, TX$51,499
Las Cruces, NM$51,233
Harlingen, TX$51,083
Pocatello, ID$51,073
Florence, AL$50,996
Brownsville, TX$50,985
Mcallen, TX$50,860
Dothan, AL$50,778
Columbus, MS$50,426
Altus, OK$50,151
Lawton, OK$50,038
Pierre, SD$49,825
What Skills Can Increase a Photographer I's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 12.06% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Early Childhood Education (Mentioned in 1.17% Job Postings): Early childhood education, also known as nursery education, is a branch of education theory that relates to the teaching of children from birth up to the age of eight.
Videography (Mentioned in 0.49% Job Postings): Videography is the process of capturing moving images on electronic media and even streaming media.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Customer Service
12.06%
Early Childhood Education
1.17%
Videography
0.49%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Photographer I's salary.
Safety Procedures: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Integrity: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Adobe Creative Suite: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Safety Procedures
$68,011
15%
Integrity
$63,871
8%
Adobe Creative Suite
$63,871
8%
Written Communication
$63,280
7%
Collaboration
$63,280
7%
Advertising
$63,280
7%
Get Latest Data
Photographer I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
Photographer I salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $66,148.
While startup companies pay approximate $55,941.
Photographer I Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$55,941
Growth Stage
51~500
$59,166
Established
501~5000
$63,878
Enterprise
5000+
$66,148
Photographer I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Photographer I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 53% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Internet and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average.
In contrast, Photographer positions in Transportation or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Photographer I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Photographer I
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Internet
$73,925
$36.0
25%
Biotechnology
$70,968
$34.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$69,785
$34.0
18%
Energy & Utilities
$68,011
$33.0
15%
Chemicals
$65,054
$31.0
10%
Photographer I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Photographer I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$55,254
Average$59,140/year
$66,711
$4,605
Average$4,928/month
$5,559
$1,063
Average$1,137/week
$1,283
$27
Average$28/hour
$32
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$66,711
$5,559
$1,283
$32
Average
$59,140
$4,928
$1,137
$28
25th Percentile
$55,254
$4,605
$1,063
$27
Photographer I Salary Growth & Career Path
Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings.
As a Photographer I, you have the following paths for advancement.
The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles.
By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.
Salaries for a Photographer I can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $55,350 in 2023
to around $55,260 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Photographer I salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Photographer I Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$55,350
2024
$55,613
2025
$55,260
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$55,350
2024
$55,613
2025
$55,260
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Photographer I
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Photographer I
Here are companies hiring for Photographer I and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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FAQ about Photographer I
1. Where can a Photographer I earn the most?
A Photographer I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer.
According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Photographer I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Photographer I is $74,593.
2. What is the highest pay for Photographer I?
The highest pay for Photographer I is $73,604.
3. What is the lowest pay for Photographer I?
The lowest pay for Photographer I is $51,716.
4. What are the responsibilities of Photographer I?
Uses photographic and video equipment to capture a subject, place, or event. Understands and adheres to photography/videography guidelines and standards. Has thorough knowledge and experience with concepts like composition, lighting, and balance. Helps sift through content to identify valuable photos or videos. May stage subjects or areas for capture and may work directly with clients. Typically requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Work is closely managed. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Typically requires 0-2 years of related experience.
5. What industry pays the highest salary for Photographer I?
The Internet industry offers the highest average compensation for Photographer I roles,
with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
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