SOC 51-9151 · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in Phoenix, AZ

The average salary for photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Phoenix, Arizona is $38,800 a year ($18.65 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $38,860: half of the people in this job in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% less than the U.S. average for this job ($46,050).

$38,800average per year

$18.65 / hourMedian $38,860Take-home ≈ $32,780

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $43K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

n/apeople in this job
-16%vs U.S. average
103cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay range in Phoenix

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,490 or more. The middle half of photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Phoenix earn between $36,650 and $39,740.

  • $35K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $43K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,800$3,233$18.65
Median$38,860$3,238$18.68
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,650$3,054$17.62
Experienced (75th percentile)$39,740$3,312$19.11

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

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay in Phoenix vs. Arizona and the U.S.

Photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Phoenix earn about the same as the Arizona average ($38,360) and 16% less than the U.S. average ($46,050). At the median the gap is -4% against the U.S. median of $40,610.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Phoenix$38,800$38,860$34,920$43,490n/a
Arizona$38,360$36,650$34,580$44,540n/a
United States$46,050$40,610$30,090$68,8004,800

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Phoenix

On the average salary of $38,800, a single filer in Phoenix takes home about $32,780 a year, or $2,732 a month and $1,261 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Arizona paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Phoenix a good place for photographic process workers and processing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Phoenix area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.3), so the average $38,800 buys what about $37,555 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Phoenix ($51,380). A typical home costs $448,352, or 11.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,800 is worth in another city

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for photographic process workers and processing machine operators

New York, NY pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($62,500).

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators salary by city

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Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators salary in Phoenix: questions

How much do photographic process workers and processing machine operators make an hour in Phoenix?

$18.65 an hour on average, and $18.69 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level photographic process workers and processing machine operators salary in Phoenix?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,650, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the photographic process workers and processing machine operators take-home pay in Phoenix?

About $32,780 a year ($2,732 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,800.

Do photographic process workers and processing machine operators earn more in Phoenix than elsewhere?

The average here is 16% less than the U.S. average for this job ($46,050).

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 51-9151; area Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (38060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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).

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