SOC 27-4021 · Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro

Photographers Salary in Davenport, IA

The average salary for photographers in Davenport, Iowa is $47,890 a year ($23.02 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,100: half of the 30 people in this job in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. average for this job ($55,410).

$47,890average per year

$23.02 / hourMedian $43,100Take-home ≈ $39,452

  • $31K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $103K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

30people in this job
-14%vs U.S. average
#1 of 3Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Photographers pay range in Davenport

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $103,410 or more. The middle half of photographers in Davenport earn between $34,880 and $48,230.

  • $31K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $103K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,890$3,991$23.02
Median$43,100$3,592$20.72
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,880$2,907$16.77
Experienced (75th percentile)$48,230$4,019$23.19

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Photographers pay in Davenport vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Photographers in Davenport earn 12% more than the Iowa average ($42,860) and 14% less than the U.S. average ($55,410). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $44,660.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Davenport$47,890$43,100$31,200$103,41030
Iowa$42,860$38,290$15,080$77,830430
United States$55,410$44,660$30,820$91,81051,760

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Photographers salary after taxes in Davenport

On the average salary of $47,890, a single filer in Davenport takes home about $39,452 a year, or $3,288 a month and $1,517 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

The Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IA$39,452$3,288
Working in IL$38,430$3,203

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Davenport a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Davenport area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.1), so the average $47,890 buys what about $53,761 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Davenport ($48,550). A typical home costs $195,380, or 4.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,890 is worth in another city

Photographers salary in other Iowa cities

Davenport ranks 1st of 3 Iowa metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Photographers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for photographers

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($83,790).

Photographers salary by city

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Photographers salary in Davenport: questions

How much do photographers make an hour in Davenport?

$23.02 an hour on average, and $20.72 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level photographers salary in Davenport?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,880, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the photographers take-home pay in Davenport?

About $39,452 a year ($3,288 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,890. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do photographers earn more in Davenport than elsewhere?

The average here is 14% less 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 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL (19340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.3%.
  • 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 (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.57, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.57).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.