Photographers pay range in Riverside
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,940 a year or less, while the top 10% make $68,240 or more. The middle half of photographers in Riverside earn between $38,740 and $55,970.
- $36K10th
- $39K25th
- $44KMedian
- $56K75th
- $68K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $50,950 | $4,246 | $24.50 |
| Median | $43,710 | $3,642 | $21.01 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $38,740 | $3,228 | $18.62 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $55,970 | $4,664 | $26.91 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Riverside
On the average salary of $50,950, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $41,869 a year, or $3,489 a month and $1,610 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% 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 Riverside a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $50,950 buys what about $47,866 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 11.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other California cities
Riverside ranks 13th 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
- Riverside$50,950
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 Riverside: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Riverside?
$24.50 an hour on average, and $21.02 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Riverside?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,940 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,740, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Riverside?
About $41,869 a year ($3,489 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,950. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do photographers earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?
The average here is 10% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($56,592).
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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.8%.
- 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 0.80, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.80).
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