SOC 519151

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Perform work involved in developing and processing photographic images from film or digital media. May perform precision tasks such as editing photographic negatives and prints.

National Median

$40,100

per year

National Salary Overview

Median Annual

$40,100

Entry Level (10th pct)

$30,840

Experienced (90th pct)

$69,290

Total Employed

5,550

Salary Distribution

Salary percentiles show the range from entry-level (10th) to top earners (90th)

Salary by Experience Level

Experience Level	Estimated Salary Range
Entry Level0-2 years experience	$30,840 - $34,460
Mid Career2-8 years experience	$34,460 - $51,590
Senior / Expert8+ years experience	$51,590 - $69,290

Highest Paying Locations for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

$74,880

+86.7% vs national

New York

$72,160

+80.0% vs national

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

$69,360

+73.0% vs national

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$53,290

+32.9% vs national

Washington

$51,730

+29.0% vs national

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary by Location

Compare salaries across 50 metropolitan areas

Metropolitan Area	Median Salary	Employed
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$74,880	40
New York	$72,160	340
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$69,360	320
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$53,290	120
Washington	$51,730	70
Michigan	$51,590	720
Maryland	$50,770	120
Ohio	$50,120	30
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$49,640	30
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$49,350	60
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$48,600	360
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$47,760	40
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$47,100	70
California	$45,850	940
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$44,920	70
Wisconsin	$44,750	90
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$44,280	50
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$43,410	70
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$43,090	N/A
Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area	$41,460	50
New Jersey	$41,250	90
Utah	$40,250	110
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$40,200	30
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$39,520	100
Kentucky	$38,900	60
Oregon	$38,650	60
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$38,280	100
Texas	$37,980	190
Missouri	$37,370	N/A
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$37,310	70
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$37,230	N/A
Massachusetts	$37,230	N/A
Virginia	$36,430	130
Indiana	$36,290	260
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$36,130	170
Pennsylvania	$36,130	350
Florida	$35,960	170
New Mexico	$35,960	50
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$35,520	N/A
Arizona	$35,520	N/A
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$33,850	N/A
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$33,800	80
North Carolina	$33,590	460
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$33,280	80
Iowa	$32,100	90
Tennessee	$31,370	100
Georgia	$29,830	100
Illinois	$29,120	N/A
Kansas	$29,120	30
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$29,120	N/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average salary for a Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators?

The national median annual salary for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators is $40,100, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This means half of workers in this occupation earn more, and half earn less.

Where do Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operatorss earn the most?

The highest-paying metro area for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operatorss is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, with a median salary of $74,880.

How much can an experienced Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators make?

Top-earning Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operatorss (90th percentile) make $69,290 or more annually. This typically reflects workers with significant experience, specialized skills, or positions in high-paying regions.