SOC 51-9151 · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in Detroit, MI

The average salary for photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Detroit, Michigan is $45,170 a year ($21.72 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $38,650: half of the 60 people in this job in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($46,050).

$45,170average per year

$21.72 / hourMedian $38,650Take-home ≈ $35,856

  • $36K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $62K90th

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

60people in this job
-2%vs U.S. average
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay range in Detroit

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,400 or more. The middle half of photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Detroit earn between $36,400 and $46,980.

  • $36K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $47K75th
  • $62K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$45,170$3,764$21.72
Median$38,650$3,221$18.58
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,400$3,033$17.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$46,980$3,915$22.59

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

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay in Detroit vs. Michigan and the U.S.

Photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Detroit earn 8% more than the Michigan average ($41,960) and about the same as the U.S. average ($46,050). At the median the gap is -5% against the U.S. median of $40,610.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Detroit$45,170$38,650$36,400$62,40060
Michigan$41,960$38,610$32,120$51,540150
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 Detroit

On the average salary of $45,170, a single filer in Detroit takes home about $35,856 a year, or $2,988 a month and $1,379 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).

Michigan paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Detroit area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.3), so the average $45,170 buys what about $45,036 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Detroit ($52,080). A typical home costs $269,080, or 6.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $45,170 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 Detroit: questions

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

$21.72 an hour on average, and $18.58 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,400, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $35,856 a year ($2,988 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,170. Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).

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

The average here is about the same as 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (19820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.0%.
  • 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 (2025 rules). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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