SOC 27-4021 · Springfield, MO metro

Photographers Salary in Springfield, MO

The average salary for photographers in Springfield, Missouri is $51,240 a year ($24.64 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $52,510: half of the 80 people in this job in the Springfield, MO metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($56,592).

$51,240average per year

$24.64 / hourMedian $52,510Take-home ≈ $41,880

  • $32K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $53KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

80people in this job
-9%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 3Missouri metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Photographers pay range in Springfield

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $68,960 or more. The middle half of photographers in Springfield earn between $39,110 and $56,890.

  • $32K10th
  • $39K25th
  • $53KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$51,240$4,270$24.63
Median$52,510$4,376$25.25
Entry level (25th percentile)$39,110$3,259$18.80
Experienced (75th percentile)$56,890$4,741$27.35

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

Photographers salary after taxes in Springfield

On the average salary of $51,240, a single filer in Springfield takes home about $41,880 a year, or $3,490 a month and $1,611 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 (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Springfield area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.6), so the average $51,240 buys what about $57,843 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Springfield ($45,780). A typical home costs $272,938, or 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $51,240 is worth in another city

Photographers salary in other Missouri cities

Springfield ranks 1st of 3 Missouri metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Photographers salaries in Missouri

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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Photographers in Springfield, MO.

Photographers salary in Springfield: questions

How much do photographers make an hour in Springfield?

$24.64 an hour on average, and $25.24 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level photographers salary in Springfield?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $39,110, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the photographers take-home pay in Springfield?

About $41,880 a year ($3,490 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $51,240. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do photographers earn more in Springfield than elsewhere?

The average here is 9% 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 Springfield, MO (44180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
  • 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). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.12, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.