Photographers pay range in Durham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,540 a year or less, while the top 10% make $71,280 or more. The middle half of photographers in Durham earn between $33,170 and $57,150.
- $32K10th
- $33K25th
- $37KMedian
- $57K75th
- $71K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $46,860 | $3,905 | $22.53 |
| Median | $36,670 | $3,056 | $17.63 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $33,170 | $2,764 | $15.95 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $57,150 | $4,762 | $27.48 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Durham
On the average salary of $46,860, a single filer in Durham takes home about $38,471 a year, or $3,206 a month and $1,480 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).
Is Durham a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $46,860 buys what about $48,026 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 8.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other North Carolina cities
Durham ranks 5th of 9 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Raleigh pays the most ($51,210).
- Raleigh$51,210
- Greensboro$49,250
- Hickory$48,800
- Charlotte$48,230
- Durham$46,860
- Winston-Salem$46,750
- Wilmington$46,270
- Asheville$41,110
- Fayetteville$41,060
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 Durham: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Durham?
$22.53 an hour on average, and $17.63 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Durham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,540 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,170, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Durham?
About $38,471 a year ($3,206 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $46,860.
Do photographers earn more in Durham than elsewhere?
The average here is 17% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.8%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.81, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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