Photographers in Virginia
Considering a career as a Photographer in Virginia?
You’re in luck! Jobs for Photographers in Virginia are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
-
Projected employment for Photographers in Virginia is growing faster than average.
-
Photographers in Virginia earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
Featured schools near , edit
How Many Photographers Work in Virginia?
In Virginia, there were 860 people working as Photographers in the year 2018.
There were 1,030 Photographers employed in this state in 2017.
That’s a decline of 170 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 570 Photographers working in it, which means Virginia has more Photographers than average.

Job Projections for Virginia
Jobs for Photographers in this state are growing at a rate of 14.1% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of -5.6%.

Virginia Annual Job Openings
The BLS estimates 290 annual job openings, and a total of 3,400 jobs for Virginia Photographers in 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 10,300 annual jobs and 139,000 total jobs in 2026.
What do Photographers Make in Virginia?
In 2018 wages for Photographers ranged from $17,660 to $66,460 with $32,820 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $8.49 to $31.95. The median hourly rate was $15.78.
The median salary in Virginia is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Top Virginia Metros for Photographers
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Photographers.
Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,050 | $46,550 |
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 210 | $25,380 |
Richmond, VA | 120 | $37,600 |
Top States for Photographers Employment
The table below shows the states where most Photographers work.
State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|---|
California | 6,060 | $46,790 |
Florida | 4,480 | $28,880 |
New York | 4,090 | $43,210 |
Texas | 3,070 | $28,100 |
Illinois | 2,600 | $31,460 |
Ohio | 1,880 | $29,920 |
Georgia | 1,850 | $36,670 |
Pennsylvania | 1,740 | $30,260 |
North Carolina | 1,450 | $26,400 |
New Jersey | 1,400 | $27,570 |
Michigan | 1,330 | $0 |
Missouri | 1,220 | $28,830 |
Massachusetts | 1,220 | $46,770 |
Wisconsin | 1,070 | $29,360 |
Washington | 1,030 | $44,180 |
Arizona | 1,020 | $27,310 |
Virginia | 860 | $32,820 |
Tennessee | 810 | $28,530 |
Indiana | 800 | $31,990 |
Nevada | 770 | $29,820 |
Below are the states where Photographers get paid the most:
State | Annual Median Salary |
---|---|
District of Columbia | $84,720 |
Rhode Island | $55,990 |
Minnesota | $47,810 |
California | $46,790 |
Massachusetts | $46,770 |
Washington | $44,180 |
Mississippi | $43,330 |
Vermont | $43,230 |
New York | $43,210 |
Alaska | $42,160 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Image Credit: By Jorge Royan under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
![]() |
Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs. Learn More > |