SOC 51-9151 · Production Occupations
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators wages by metro
National median annual wage
$40,610
- 10th percentile
- $30,090
- 25th percentile
- $35,170
- Median
- $40,610
- 75th percentile
- $50,150
- 90th percentile
- $68,800
- Mean
- $46,050
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 4,800.
That median is 20.3% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 50 | $37,440 | $60,320 | $75,310 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Not available | $40,010 | $56,550 | $104,430 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 130 | $41,100 | $54,400 | $96,020 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 390 | $38,830 | $52,000 | $99,120 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Not available | $36,490 | $50,740 | $52,800 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 280 | $38,650 | $47,450 | $84,430 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 40 | $36,140 | $46,810 | $84,480 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 120 | $36,180 | $44,560 | $76,360 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 40 | $35,710 | $43,490 | $49,130 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 60 | $35,480 | $43,240 | $81,430 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 60 | $34,860 | $43,100 | $59,360 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 80 | $31,790 | $41,280 | $82,220 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 40 | $33,280 | $39,070 | $53,240 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Not available | $34,920 | $38,860 | $43,490 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 60 | $36,400 | $38,650 | $62,400 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Not available | $35,300 | $38,400 | $66,940 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Not available | $31,200 | $37,940 | $59,890 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 90 | $35,790 | $37,720 | $63,290 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 140 | $30,890 | $37,340 | $48,300 |
| Muncie, IN | Not available | $31,840 | $37,180 | $43,830 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 390 | $38,830 | $52,000 | $99,120 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 280 | $38,650 | $47,450 | $84,430 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 140 | $30,890 | $37,340 | $48,300 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 130 | $41,100 | $54,400 | $96,020 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 120 | $36,180 | $44,560 | $76,360 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 90 | $35,790 | $37,720 | $63,290 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 80 | $31,790 | $41,280 | $82,220 |
| Cleveland, OH | 70 | $22,890 | $29,540 | $31,810 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 70 | $32,230 | $34,900 | $47,330 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 60 | $34,860 | $43,100 | $59,360 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 60 | $36,400 | $38,650 | $62,400 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 60 | $35,480 | $43,240 | $81,430 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 50 | $37,440 | $60,320 | $75,310 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 40 | $24,810 | $34,790 | $52,370 |
| Columbus, OH | 40 | $30,110 | $30,600 | $67,630 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 40 | $35,710 | $43,490 | $49,130 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 40 | $36,140 | $46,810 | $84,480 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 40 | $33,280 | $39,070 | $53,240 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 400 | $39,490 | $57,760 | $106,470 |
| Virginia | 110 | $31,790 | $47,380 | $59,310 |
| California | 740 | $37,900 | $47,320 | $84,430 |
| Florida | 450 | $27,080 | $46,840 | $52,800 |
| Wisconsin | 60 | $37,210 | $46,480 | $61,990 |
| Washington | 80 | $36,640 | $46,280 | $75,310 |
| Maryland | 200 | $36,130 | $45,600 | $76,370 |
| Iowa | 90 | $30,480 | $43,310 | $52,970 |
| New Jersey | 110 | $35,390 | $43,300 | $51,020 |
| Delaware | 30 | $40,140 | $42,220 | $42,220 |
| Oregon | 40 | $39,940 | $39,940 | $46,940 |
| Utah | 60 | $37,390 | $39,510 | $43,050 |
| Michigan | 150 | $32,120 | $38,610 | $51,540 |
| Massachusetts | Not available | $36,880 | $38,400 | $85,530 |
| Illinois | Not available | $31,200 | $37,940 | $74,800 |
| Indiana | 240 | $31,840 | $37,670 | $54,690 |
| Connecticut | 80 | $34,010 | $37,460 | $47,130 |
| Kentucky | 120 | $27,480 | $37,430 | $45,920 |
| Pennsylvania | 160 | $30,890 | $37,340 | $48,300 |
| Arizona | Not available | $34,580 | $36,650 | $44,540 |
| Louisiana | 60 | $32,730 | $36,500 | $47,970 |
| Texas | 160 | $28,890 | $35,950 | $66,630 |
| North Carolina | 320 | $34,680 | $35,580 | $58,310 |
| Georgia | 50 | $24,810 | $34,790 | $139,830 |
| Missouri | 100 | $30,080 | $33,540 | $49,270 |
| South Carolina | 50 | $26,780 | $30,010 | $34,310 |
| Alabama | 40 | $27,510 | $29,850 | $46,090 |
| Ohio | 190 | $28,030 | $29,770 | $37,830 |
| Tennessee | 110 | $18,720 | $29,050 | $53,560 |
Other production occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Machinists
- Production Workers, All Other
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators is $40,610. Employment is 4,800.
How does Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators is 20.3% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is highest on this page's list at $60,320.