Photographers pay range in Boston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,870 a year or less, while the top 10% make $119,600 or more. The middle half of photographers in Boston earn between $42,480 and $98,500.
- $37K10th
- $42K25th
- $55KMedian
- $98K75th
- $120K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $70,820 | $5,902 | $34.05 |
| Median | $55,020 | $4,585 | $26.45 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $42,480 | $3,540 | $20.42 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $98,500 | $8,208 | $47.36 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Boston
On the average salary of $70,820, a single filer in Boston takes home about $55,431 a year, or $4,619 a month and $2,132 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NH | $58,652 | $4,888 |
| Working in MA | $55,431 | $4,619 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Is Boston a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boston area are 8% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 108.3), so the average $70,820 buys what about $65,413 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Boston ($66,620). A typical home costs $741,868, or 10.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other Massachusetts cities
Boston ranks 1st of 3 Massachusetts metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Boston$70,820
- Springfield$62,870
- Worcester$61,620
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 Boston: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Boston?
$34.05 an hour on average, and $26.45 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Boston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,870 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,480, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Boston?
About $55,431 a year ($4,619 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,820. Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
Do photographers earn more in Boston than elsewhere?
The average here is 25% 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (14460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.8%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.74, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.74).
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