Occupation overview

Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for photographic process workers and processing machine operators is $40,610, or $19.52 per hour. About 4,800 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $57,760 in New York to $29,050 in Tennessee.

Median annual
$40,610
Median hourly
$19.52
Entry level (P10)
$30,090
Top 10% (P90)
$68,800
Employment
4,800
States covered
29

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$30,090
$35,170
$40,610
$50,150
$30,090$40,610$68,800
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $40,610.

Salary by state

All 29 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1New York$57,760$27.774001.34
2Virginia$47,380$22.781100.89
3California$47,320$22.757401.31
4Florida$46,840$22.524501.48
5Wisconsin$46,480$22.35600.63
6Washington$46,280$22.25800.77
7Maryland$45,600$21.922002.29
8Iowa$43,310$20.82901.91
9New Jersey$43,300$20.821100.83
10Delaware$42,220$20.30302.08
11Oregon$39,940$19.20400.58
12Utah$39,510$19.00601.20
13Michigan$38,610$18.561501.10
14Massachusetts$38,400$18.46——
15Illinois$37,940$18.24——
16Indiana$37,670$18.112402.40
17Connecticut$37,460$18.01801.45
18Kentucky$37,430$18.001201.98
19Pennsylvania$37,340$17.951600.87
20Arizona$36,650$17.62——
21Louisiana$36,500$17.55600.99
22Texas$35,950$17.281600.36
23North Carolina$35,580$17.113202.13
24Georgia$34,790$16.72500.30
25Missouri$33,540$16.121001.14
26South Carolina$30,010$14.43500.75
27Alabama$29,850$14.35400.65
28Ohio$29,770$14.311901.11
29Tennessee$29,050$13.971101.05

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do photographic process workers and processing machine operators make?

The median annual wage for photographic process workers and processing machine operators in the United States is $40,610, or $19.52 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $30,090, and the top 10% earn $68,800.

How many photographic process workers and processing machine operators are employed in the U.S.?

About 4,800 people work as photographic process workers and processing machine operators nationwide.

Which state pays photographic process workers and processing machine operators the most?

New York pays the most at a median of $57,760, followed by Virginia ($47,380) and California ($47,320).

Which state pays photographic process workers and processing machine operators the least?

Tennessee has the lowest median at $29,050.

Where are photographic process workers and processing machine operators jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Indiana at 2.40×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes