Photographers pay range in Houston
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,890 or more. The middle half of photographers in Houston earn between $36,330 and $51,420.
- $29K10th
- $36K25th
- $41KMedian
- $51K75th
- $63K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $44,940 | $3,745 | $21.61 |
| Median | $41,280 | $3,440 | $19.85 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,330 | $3,028 | $17.47 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $51,420 | $4,285 | $24.72 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Houston
On the average salary of $44,940, a single filer in Houston takes home about $38,289 a year, or $3,191 a month and $1,473 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Houston a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Houston area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.6), so the average $44,940 buys what about $45,565 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Houston ($49,410). A typical home costs $308,306, or 6.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other Texas cities
Houston ranks 3rd of 12 Texas metro areas for this job; Waco pays the most ($46,990).
- Waco$46,990
- Dallas$45,480
- Houston$44,940
- Corpus Christi$43,530
- Lubbock$43,210
- San Antonio$42,330
- Austin$41,590
- Beaumont$40,980
- El Paso$40,400
- Tyler$38,410
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 Houston: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Houston?
$21.61 an hour on average, and $19.85 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Houston?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,330, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Houston?
About $38,289 a year ($3,191 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $44,940. Texas has no state income tax.
Do photographers earn more in Houston than elsewhere?
The average here is 21% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (26420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.73, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.73).
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