SOC 51-9151 · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in Philadelphia, PA

The average salary for photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is $39,520 a year ($19.00 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,340: half of the 140 people in this job in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. average for this job ($46,050).

$39,520average per year

$19.00 / hourMedian $37,340Take-home ≈ $32,721

  • $31K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $42K75th
  • $48K90th

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

140people in this job
-14%vs U.S. average
103cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay range in Philadelphia

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,890 a year or less, while the top 10% make $48,300 or more. The middle half of photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Philadelphia earn between $36,590 and $42,220.

  • $31K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $42K75th
  • $48K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$39,520$3,293$19.00
Median$37,340$3,112$17.95
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,590$3,049$17.59
Experienced (75th percentile)$42,220$3,518$20.30

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

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay in Philadelphia vs. Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Photographic process workers and processing machine operators in Philadelphia earn about the same as the Pennsylvania average ($38,940) and 14% less than the U.S. average ($46,050). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $40,610.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Philadelphia$39,520$37,340$30,890$48,300140
Pennsylvania$38,940$37,340$30,890$48,300160
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 Philadelphia

On the average salary of $39,520, a single filer in Philadelphia takes home about $32,721 a year, or $2,727 a month and $1,259 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NJ$33,269$2,772
Working in PA$32,721$2,727
Working in DE$32,308$2,692
Working in MD$32,269$2,689

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Pennsylvania paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Philadelphia area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.6), so the average $39,520 buys what about $38,536 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Philadelphia ($54,310). A typical home costs $390,463, or 9.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $39,520 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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators in Philadelphia, PA.

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

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

$19.00 an hour on average, and $17.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,890 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,590, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $32,721 a year ($2,727 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $39,520. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

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

The average here is 14% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.3%.
  • 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.58, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.