Photographers pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $133,090 or more. The middle half of photographers in Los Angeles earn between $38,410 and $79,060.
- $36K10th
- $38K25th
- $48KMedian
- $79K75th
- $133K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $73,520 | $6,127 | $35.35 |
| Median | $47,840 | $3,987 | $23.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $38,410 | $3,201 | $18.47 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $79,060 | $6,588 | $38.01 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Photographers pay in Los Angeles vs. California and the U.S.
Photographers in Los Angeles earn 5% more than the California average ($70,040) and 33% more than the U.S. average ($55,410). At the median the gap is +7% against the U.S. median of $44,660.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $73,520 | $47,840 | $36,460 | $133,090 | 4,290 |
| California | $70,040 | $47,840 | $36,470 | $125,490 | 7,980 |
| United States | $55,410 | $44,660 | $30,820 | $91,810 | 51,760 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Photographers salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $73,520, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $57,742 a year, or $4,812 a month and $2,221 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Los Angeles a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $73,520 buys what about $64,738 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 13.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 3rd of 15 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($83,790).
- San Francisco$83,790
- San Jose$75,490
- Los Angeles$73,520
- Santa Rosa$72,250
- Santa Maria$72,200
- San Diego$60,580
- San Luis Obispo$59,300
- Oxnard$56,670
- Bakersfield$56,240
- Sacramento$55,590
Highest-paying cities for photographers
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($83,790).
- San Francisco, CA$83,790
- San Jose, CA$75,490
- Los Angeles, CA$73,520
- Santa Rosa, CA$72,250
- Santa Maria, CA$72,200
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Photographers salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Los Angeles?
$35.35 an hour on average, and $23.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,410, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $57,742 a year ($4,812 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,520. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do photographers earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 33% more than the U.S. average for this job ($55,410).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-4021; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 15.9%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.06, this job is 2.1 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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