Photographers pay range in Olympia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,060 a year or less, while the top 10% make $84,840 or more. The middle half of photographers in Olympia earn between $37,590 and $72,700.
- $36K10th
- $38K25th
- $44KMedian
- $73K75th
- $85K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $54,220 | $4,518 | $26.07 |
| Median | $43,550 | $3,629 | $20.94 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $37,590 | $3,132 | $18.07 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $72,700 | $6,058 | $34.95 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Photographers salary after taxes in Olympia
On the average salary of $54,220, a single filer in Olympia takes home about $45,746 a year, or $3,812 a month and $1,759 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Olympia a good place for photographers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Olympia area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.7), so the average $54,220 buys what about $52,301 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Olympia ($61,960). A typical home costs $533,918, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Photographers salary in other Washington cities
Olympia ranks 2nd of 4 Washington metro areas for this job; Seattle pays the most ($61,000).
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 Olympia: questions
How much do photographers make an hour in Olympia?
$26.07 an hour on average, and $20.94 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level photographers salary in Olympia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,060 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,590, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the photographers take-home pay in Olympia?
About $45,746 a year ($3,812 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,220. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do photographers earn more in Olympia than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA (36500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.9%.
- 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.91, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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