Average Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators is $40,610 per year. The middle 50% earn between $35,170 and $50,150, with 4,800 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 29 states and 25 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $30,090
- 25th
- $35,170
- Median
- $40,610
- 75th
- $50,150
- 90th
- $68,800
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for photographic process workers and processing machine operators from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -2.6%
- -300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 1,500
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings are high relative to the workforce size, reflecting meaningful turnover and new-hire volume.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
A high-school diploma is typically sufficient for entry, with much of the training happening on the job.
Where Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where photographic process workers and processing machine operators work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New York at $57,760, about 42.2% above the national median. At the metro level, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA leads with a median of $60,320.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $57,760 | 400 |
| Virginia | $47,380 | 110 |
| California | $47,320 | 740 |
| Florida | $46,840 | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $46,480 | 60 |
| Washington | $46,280 | 80 |
| Maryland | $45,600 | 200 |
| Iowa | $43,310 | 90 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,320 | 50 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $56,550 | N/A |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $54,400 | 130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $52,000 | 390 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $50,740 | N/A |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,450 | 280 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $46,810 | 40 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $44,560 | 120 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see photographic process workers and processing machine operators pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators rose from $32,280 to $40,610, a gain of +25.8% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $32,280 would need to be worth $40,649 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $40,610 is −$39 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -0.1% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 25.8%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +25.8%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -0.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $40,610
- 2024
- $40,100
- 2023
- $35,620
- 2022
- $36,280
- 2021
- $36,590
- 2020
- $34,720
- 2019
- $32,280
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Production Workers, All Other
- $40,110
- Helpers--Production Workers
- $39,070
- Etchers And Engravers
- $43,310
Common salary questions for Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Photographic Process Workers And Processing Machine Operators workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.