Photographers pay range in Boulder
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,990 or more. The middle half of photographers in Boulder earn between $44,510 and $88,610.
- $40K10th
- $45K25th
- $61KMedian
- $89K75th
- $100K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $66,690 | $5,558 | $32.06 |
| Median | $60,930 | $5,078 | $29.29 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $44,510 | $3,709 | $21.40 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $88,610 | $7,384 | $42.60 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Boulder
On the average salary of $66,690, a single filer in Boulder takes home about $53,520 a year, or $4,460 a month and $2,058 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Is Boulder a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boulder area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.2), so the average $66,690 buys what about $63,392 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Boulder ($69,580). A typical home costs $727,954, or 10.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other Colorado cities
Boulder ranks 2nd of 5 Colorado metro areas for this job; Fort Collins pays the most ($68,280).
- Fort Collins$68,280
- Boulder$66,690
- Denver$59,430
- Colorado Springs$55,530
- Greeley$53,270
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 Boulder: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Boulder?
$32.06 an hour on average, and $29.29 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Boulder?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,510, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Boulder?
About $53,520 a year ($4,460 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $66,690. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Do photographers earn more in Boulder than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% 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 Boulder, CO (14500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.3%.
- 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). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.86, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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