Photographers pay range in Santa Rosa
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,930 a year or less, while the top 10% make $82,860 or more. The middle half of photographers in Santa Rosa earn between $37,930 and $71,580.
- $38K10th
- $38K25th
- $50KMedian
- $72K75th
- $83K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $72,250 | $6,021 | $34.74 |
| Median | $50,500 | $4,208 | $24.28 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $37,930 | $3,161 | $18.24 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $71,580 | $5,965 | $34.41 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Santa Rosa
On the average salary of $72,250, a single filer in Santa Rosa takes home about $56,950 a year, or $4,746 a month and $2,190 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 Santa Rosa a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Santa Rosa area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 107.8), so the average $72,250 buys what about $67,032 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Rosa ($56,850). A typical home costs $796,761, or 11.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other California cities
Santa Rosa ranks 4th 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 Santa Rosa: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Santa Rosa?
$34.74 an hour on average, and $24.28 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Santa Rosa?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,930 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,930, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Santa Rosa?
About $56,950 a year ($4,746 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $72,250. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do photographers earn more in Santa Rosa than elsewhere?
The average here is 28% more 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA (42220). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 16.4%.
- 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 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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