SOC 27-4021 · Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro

Photographers Salary in Lakeland, FL

The average salary for photographers in Lakeland, Florida is $57,810 a year ($27.80 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $47,870: half of the 40 people in this job in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($56,592).

$57,810average per year

$27.80 / hourMedian $47,870Take-home ≈ $48,630

  • $32K10th
  • $33K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $89K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
+2%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 16Florida metros
97cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Photographers pay range in Lakeland

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $88,710 or more. The middle half of photographers in Lakeland earn between $33,380 and $60,400.

  • $32K10th
  • $33K25th
  • $48KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $89K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$57,810$4,818$27.79
Median$47,870$3,989$23.01
Entry level (25th percentile)$33,380$2,782$16.05
Experienced (75th percentile)$60,400$5,033$29.04

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Photographers salary after taxes in Lakeland

On the average salary of $57,810, a single filer in Lakeland takes home about $48,630 a year, or $4,053 a month and $1,870 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is Lakeland a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Lakeland area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $57,810 buys what about $59,511 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Lakeland ($46,140). A typical home costs $298,816, or 5.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $57,810 is worth in another city

Photographers salary in other Florida cities

Lakeland ranks 2nd of 16 Florida metro areas for this job; Miami pays the most ($58,140).

All Photographers salaries in Florida

Highest-paying cities for photographers

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($83,790).

Photographers salary by city

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Photographers salary in Lakeland: questions

How much do photographers make an hour in Lakeland?

$27.80 an hour on average, and $23.02 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level photographers salary in Lakeland?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,380, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the photographers take-home pay in Lakeland?

About $48,630 a year ($4,053 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $57,810. Florida has no state income tax.

Do photographers earn more in Lakeland than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL (29460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.6%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.48, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.48).

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