How much does a Photo Retoucher make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Photo Retoucher in the United States is $67,896 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.
However, a Photo Retoucher's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $77,876
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $61,885 to $73,120
Key Factors That Influence Photo Retoucher Salaries
A Photo Retoucher'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 Photo Retoucher Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Photo Retoucher'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:
How Do Photo Retoucher 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 Photo Retouchers. 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: $85,638
San Francisco: $84,700
Oakland: $82,915
San Jose, CA$85,638
San Francisco, CA$84,700
Oakland, CA$82,915
New York, NY$78,175
Paramus, NJ$77,225
Queens Village, NY$77,221
Passaic, NJ$77,157
Bergenfield, NJ$77,151
Stamford, CT$77,001
Huntington, NY$76,973
Newark, NJ$76,472
Bridgeport, CT$76,328
Vallejo, CA$76,193
New Brunswick, NJ$76,166
Petaluma, CA$76,125
Middlesex, NJ$75,996
Somerset, NJ$75,949
Santa Cruz, CA$75,861
Boston, MA$75,446
Monterey, CA$75,208
Seattle, WA$75,053
Santa Rosa, CA$75,039
Los Angeles, CA$75,019
Juneau, AK$74,842
Washington, DC$74,768
Orange, CA$74,526
Santa Ana, CA$74,347
Long Beach, CA$74,279
Anaheim, CA$74,265
Anchorage, AK$74,231
Santa Maria, CA$74,027
Everett, WA$74,014
Danbury, CT$73,775
Bremerton, WA$73,681
Tacoma, WA$73,437
New Suffolk, NY$73,435
Sacramento, CA$73,416
Santa Barbara, CA$73,342
Trenton, NJ$73,267
San Diego, CA$73,267
Brockton, MA$73,192
Fairbanks, AK$73,026
Lompoc, CA$72,853
Lowell, MA$72,798
Ventura, CA$72,785
Nashua, NH$72,771
Stockton, CA$72,765
Modesto, CA$72,269
Poughkeepsie, NY$72,120
Olympia, WA$71,991
Kennewick, WA$71,991
New Haven, CT$71,963
Lawrence, MA$71,719
Hartford, CT$71,651
Riverside, CA$71,637
New Bedford, MA$71,570
Richland, WA$71,570
Bakersfield, CA$71,475
San Bernardino, CA$71,447
New Britain, CT$71,441
Atlantic City, NJ$71,441
New London, CT$71,413
Norwich, CT$71,393
Portsmouth, NH$71,379
Boulder, CO$71,236
Portland, OR$71,142
Worcester, MA$71,135
Minneapolis, MN$70,925
Philadelphia, PA$70,830
Honolulu, HI$70,605
Saint Paul, MN$70,573
Vineland, NJ$70,558
Providence, RI$70,361
Chicago, IL$70,164
Bellingham, WA$70,083
Springfield, MA$70,028
Baltimore, MD$70,008
Chico, CA$69,838
Pittsfield, MA$69,655
Manchester, NH$69,526
Spokane, WA$69,227
Denver, CO$69,220
Albany, NY$68,901
Troy, NY$68,874
Nassau, NY$68,801
Schenectady, NY$68,732
Wilmington, DE$68,677
Burlington, VT$68,582
Salem, OR$68,555
Portland, ME$68,345
Yakima, WA$68,277
Rochester, MN$68,066
Reno, NV$68,032
Fresno, CA$68,032
Milwaukee, WI$67,971
Detroit, MI$67,903
Ann Arbor, MI$67,892
Allentown, PA$67,883
Colorado Springs, CO$67,767
Syracuse, NY$67,733
Carson City, NV$67,733
Houston, TX$67,638
Eugene, OR$67,604
Gary, IN$67,523
Springfield, OR$67,469
Bismarck, ND$67,455
Galveston, TX$67,408
Medford, OR$67,306
Fort Collins, CO$67,279
Concord, NH$67,245
Austin, TX$67,224
Mesa, AZ$67,082
Reading, PA$67,075
Phoenix, AZ$67,068
Dallas, TX$67,048
Saint Cloud, MN$66,983
Madison, WI$66,892
Utica, NY$66,708
Rochester, NY$66,600
Des Moines, IA$66,593
Raleigh, NC$66,586
Atlanta, GA$66,484
Battle Creek, MI$66,464
Salt Lake City, UT$66,443
Lancaster, PA$66,342
Harrisburg, PA$66,247
Kansas City, MO$66,179
Champaign, IL$66,165
Kansas City, KS$66,165
Fort Worth, TX$66,158
Columbus, OH$66,147
Boca Raton, FL$66,131
Pittsburgh, PA$66,104
Richmond, VA$66,077
Indianapolis, IN$66,063
Cleveland, OH$66,056
Las Vegas, NV$65,975
Cincinnati, OH$65,975
Petersburg, VA$65,873
Huntsville, AL$65,771
Lansing, MI$65,726
Lebanon, PA$65,717
Pueblo, CO$65,710
Appleton, WI$65,690
Buffalo, NY$65,663
Dayton, OH$65,642
Racine, WI$65,629
Charlotte, NC$65,622
Saint Louis, MO$65,602
York, PA$65,561
Elkhart, IN$65,561
Gastonia, NC$65,548
Billings, MT$65,532
Beaumont, TX$65,513
Lorain, OH$65,500
Benton Harbor, MI$65,486
Toledo, OH$65,472
Binghamton, NY$65,439
Rock Hill, SC$65,432
Rockford, IL$65,398
Springfield, IL$65,371
Elyria, OH$65,364
Fargo, ND$65,364
Flagstaff, AZ$65,316
Fort Lauderdale, FL$65,276
Duluth, MN$65,235
Miami, FL$65,235
Cheyenne, WY$65,187
Grand Forks, ND$65,187
Bangor, ME$65,038
Cedar Rapids, IA$64,963
Durham, NC$64,935
Louisville, KY$64,929
Grand Rapids, MI$64,916
Hialeah, FL$64,909
Casper, WY$64,814
Scranton, PA$64,732
New Orleans, LA$64,712
Virginia Beach, VA$64,705
Akron, OH$64,671
Peoria, IL$64,583
Sarasota, FL$64,569
Nashville, TN$64,522
Omaha, NE$64,522
Green Bay, WI$64,522
Baton Rouge, LA$64,488
Charleston, SC$64,474
Jamestown, NY$64,440
Davenport, IA$64,440
Tucson, AZ$64,407
Saint Petersburg, FL$64,366
Tampa, FL$64,352
Evansville, IN$64,311
Port Arthur, TX$64,311
Bradenton, FL$64,284
Santa Fe, NM$64,162
Orlando, FL$64,040
Clearwater, FL$64,020
Canton, OH$63,877
La Crosse, WI$63,877
Albuquerque, NM$63,836
Newport News, VA$63,829
High Point, NC$63,809
Ogden, UT$63,782
Corpus Christi, TX$63,728
Norfolk, VA$63,687
Laramie, WY$63,687
Rock Island, IL$63,646
Saginaw, MI$63,633
Jacksonville, FL$63,626
Salisbury, NC$63,612
Boise, ID$63,599
Moline, IL$63,565
Fort Myers, FL$63,544
Memphis, TN$63,531
Tulsa, OK$63,497
Waterloo, IA$63,456
Spartanburg, SC$63,388
Lincoln, NE$63,354
Fort Wayne, IN$63,341
Provo, UT$63,334
Cedar Falls, IA$63,252
San Antonio, TX$63,225
Greensboro, NC$63,198
South Bend, IN$63,191
Savannah, GA$63,116
Muskegon, MI$63,089
Birmingham, AL$63,083
Winston Salem, NC$63,049
Lake Charles, LA$62,886
Anderson, IN$62,872
Lexington, KY$62,852
Augusta, GA$62,831
Greenville, SC$62,831
Lima, OH$62,777
Wichita, KS$62,770
Tuscaloosa, AL$62,770
Columbia, SC$62,709
Springfield, OH$62,696
Asheville, NC$62,587
Bloomington, IN$62,539
Knoxville, TN$62,295
Shreveport, LA$62,288
Wilmington, NC$62,200
Roanoke, VA$62,200
Topeka, KS$62,078
Frankfort, KY$62,070
Oklahoma City, OK$62,023
Chillicothe, OH$61,996
Longview, TX$61,989
Melbourne, FL$61,983
Sioux Falls, SD$61,874
Mobile, AL$61,867
Terre Haute, IN$61,840
Altoona, PA$61,799
Amarillo, TX$61,752
Killeen, TX$61,731
Fayetteville, AR$61,677
Chattanooga, TN$61,657
Sioux City, IA$61,596
Idaho Falls, ID$61,582
Lynchburg, VA$61,528
Gainesville, FL$61,439
Portsmouth, OH$61,406
Little Rock, AR$61,392
Lafayette, LA$61,365
Youngstown, OH$61,365
Daytona Beach, FL$61,324
Clarksville, TN$61,317
Pensacola, FL$61,310
Temple, TX$61,306
Hopkinsville, KY$61,107
Erie, PA$61,093
Florence, SC$61,066
Charleston, WV$60,957
Great Falls, MT$60,923
Macon, GA$60,828
Tallahassee, FL$60,822
Fayetteville, NC$60,808
Waco, TX$60,794
Helena, MT$60,747
Pine Bluff, AR$60,721
Vincennes, IN$60,638
Lubbock, TX$60,611
Alamogordo, NM$60,570
Twin Falls, ID$60,509
Rapid City, SD$60,489
Jackson, MS$60,367
Huntington, WV$60,362
Greenville, MS$60,360
Parkersburg, WV$60,291
Montgomery, AL$60,278
Wichita Falls, TX$60,211
Springfield, MO$60,211
Biloxi, MS$60,177
Monroe, LA$60,109
Johnstown, PA$60,061
Sumter, SC$60,034
Columbus, GA$60,027
Pascagoula, MS$59,898
Abilene, TX$59,898
Kingsport, TN$59,722
Albany, GA$59,722
Gulfport, MS$59,701
Alexandria, LA$59,477
Fort Smith, AR$59,308
El Paso, TX$59,124
Las Cruces, NM$58,819
Harlingen, TX$58,646
Pocatello, ID$58,635
Florence, AL$58,547
Brownsville, TX$58,533
Mcallen, TX$58,391
Dothan, AL$58,296
Columbus, MS$57,893
Altus, OK$57,576
Lawton, OK$57,447
Pierre, SD$57,203
What Skills Can Increase a Photo Retoucher's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Flexibility (Mentioned in 3.09% Job Postings): Adapting, responding to, and dealing with the changing environment and new situations.
Product Development (Mentioned in 2.44% Job Postings): Overseeing the creation of new products or improvement of the performance, cost, or quality of existing products to achieve business goals.
Google Analytics (Mentioned in 2.15% Job Postings): Google Analytics is a web analytics service that provides statistics and basic analytical tools for search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing purposes.
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 Photo Retoucher's salary.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Content Management: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Content Creation: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Photo Retoucher Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Photo Retoucher roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 55% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Photo Retoucher positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Photo Retoucher as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Photo Retoucher
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$88,265
$42.0
30%
Financial Services
$81,476
$39.0
20%
Internet
$78,081
$38.0
15%
Biotechnology
$74,686
$36.0
10%
Media
$74,686
$36.0
10%
Photo Retoucher Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Photo Retoucher'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.
Salaries for a Photo Retoucher can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $66,169 in 2023
to around $65,688 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Photo Retoucher salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Photo Retoucher Over Time
$???
$66,169
$65,971
$65,688
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$66,169
2024
$65,971
2025
$65,688
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Photo Retoucher
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Photo Retoucher
Here are companies hiring for Photo Retoucher and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next Photo Retoucher Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Photo Retoucher job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
For Employees
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Get a Salary Increase
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Search Job Openings
For Employers
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Adjust Employee Salary
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Price My Industry Jobs
FAQ about Photo Retoucher
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Photo Retoucher?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Photo Retoucher roles,
with salaries approximately 30% 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.
