Explore the most promising locations for photographers in the US in 2024 with our comprehensive guide. Delve into state-by-state statistics on demand, average incomes, and niche opportunities. Identify where your photography business can flourish.

Photography transcends the limits of art. People increasingly think of turning their creative hobby into a profitable enterprise. Creating visuals for artistic and commercial purposes can be financially beneficial, but certain paramount factors must be considered before launching your photography business.

The geographic location of your enterprise is one such factor. Nowadays, there is no need to limit your entrepreneurship capabilities with the area where you live, physical location can be changed easily. Choosing the best cities for photographers depends on their potential customers' demands, preferences, and financial capabilities. These factors vary from country to country. However, even within one country, a photographer's average income depends on the region where they work. 

This article observes photographer demographics in the United States. We analyze public demand for photographic services in different US states and provide data on average income of a photographer in different states. Based on our research, you can choose a perfect location to start a thriving photography business in the USA in 2024. 

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NicheBest States For A Photographer 2024 Based On Recent Data And Salary | Skylum Blog(2)

Finding a place with a high demand for photography services in general does not guarantee a large client base. You need to match the services you provide with the audience’s needs. For example, there is a high demand for wedding photography and wedding photo retouching in almost every state. But if you specialize in taking and editing landscape photos, this genre is much less popular. Let’s look at the most searched types of photographers in the US:

Search request

Request count

newborn photographer near me

2200

wedding photographer near me

1500

real estate photographer near me

1400

family photographer near me

1200

photographer jobs near me

900

boudoir photographer near me

600

event photographer near me

600

maternity photographer near me

500

dog photographer near me

500

pet photographer near me

450

product photographer near me

450

portrait photographer near me

400

engagement photographer near me

400

branding photographer near me

300

lifestyle photographer near me

250

photographer near me for couples

250

food photographer near me

200

birthday photographer near me

200

dating photographer near me

200

drone photographer near me

200

beach photographer near me

150

fitness photographer near me

100

As we see, Americans tend to be the most interested in real estate, family, newborn and wedding photographers. Meanwhile, food, lifestyle, fitness, and beach photographers are characterized by the lowest demand. 

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Demand

The first step to a successful business is market observation to find a reliable customer base. The higher the need for your services in a particular region, the more clients you see, and the more profitable your business will be. Search engines like Google collect user requests, allowing them to analyze their frequency from the perspective of location. Let’s look at the map below to see how often people use the search request “photographer” in different US states: 

Best States For A Photographer 2024 Based On Recent Data And Salary | Skylum Blog(3)Source: Google Trends

According to Ahrefs, the highest demand for photographers across the country is found in Colorado (8,900), Oregon (5,000), Washington (4,500), Florida (4,400), Utah (4,100), and Virginia (4,300), with the peak in New York (12,290). It is important to mention that New York shows so many queries because it is the name of both the state and the city. This duplication of search queries creates the appearance of a much higher demand.

In contrast, West Virginia (80), New Mexico (70), Louisiana (2,744), Nebraska (60), and Nevada (50) have the lowest demand rates when it comes to photography services. Below, we will talk about the numbers in more detail.

IncomeBest States For A Photographer 2024 Based On Recent Data And Salary | Skylum Blog(4)

Once you understand the needs of your potential clients in a specific area, the next question emerges: what is the average salary of a photographer in the USA? According to ziprecruiter.co.uk, the average hourly wage of photographers in the USA is $19.03. It gives $760.9 per week. And how much do photographers make a month? The monthly salary range varies from $2441 in Florida to $4072 in Oregon. Based on this, how much do photographers make annually? The average annual income of photographers in the US is $39592. The salary reaches a record high in Oregon, Alaska, North Dakota, and Massachusetts (≈$48500), dropping to the lowest in Kansas, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Florida ( ≈$32000). 

As we see, the states with the highest demand for photographers do not match those with the highest salaries. Kansas shows a very high level of interest in photography services, but the salary is one of the lowest in the country; meanwhile, North Dakota is in the top five states by salary for photographers, but people are not interested much in this subject here. 

So, the question is, how much does a photographer make in each US state, considering both factors and where are you most likely to maintain a profitable photography business? Let’s calculate it in the section below.

ProfitabilityBest States For A Photographer 2024 Based On Recent Data And Salary | Skylum Blog(5)

The profitability coefficient directly depends on the two values determined above — demand and salary. Calculating this coefficient is mandatory when selecting the best place to start your business. 

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We at Skylum Team calculate it according to this formula:

K = Revenue Potential = Demand * Average Monthly Salary

The greater the demand, the higher the revenue; the bigger the salary, the higher the revenue. It means that the revenue potential is directly proportional to both indicators, and that is why their values are multiplied, leading to the following results: 

State

Request count

Avg. Salary

Revenue Potential

New York

12,290

3,594

44170260

Colorado

8,900

3,781

33650900

Oregon

5,000

4,072

20360000

Washington

4,500

3,875

17437500

Virginia

4,300

3,503

15062900

Utah

4,100

2,918

11963800

Florida

4,400

2,441

10740400

Hawaii

2,700

3,966

10708200

Texas

3,300

3,172

10467600

Maine

2,700

3,261

8804700

California

1,900

3,338

6342200

Kansas

1,900

2,832

5380800

Arizona

1,700

3,045

5176500

Ohio

1,500

3,055

4582500

Connecticut

1,500

3,029

4543500

Michigan

1,300

3,130

4069000

Maryland

1,100

3,442

3786200

Oklahoma

1,100

3,262

3588200

Minnesota

1,100

3,143

3457300

Massachusetts

730

4,003

2922190

Alaska

650

4,052

2633800

Arkansas

850

2,988

2539800

New Jersey

770

3,285

2529450

Iowa

840

3,004

2523360

Vermont

690

3,509

2421210

Rhode Island

580

3,772

2187760

North Carolina

550

3,250

1787500

Wisconsin

390

3,254

1269060

Montana

400

2,999

1199600

Georgia

420

2,759

1158780

Idaho

340

3,194

1085960

Illinois

260

3,502

910520

South Carolina

270

3,319

896130

New Hampshire

270

3,202

864540

Tennessee

270

2,916

787320

Missouri

230

3,348

770040

Pennsylvania

230

3,292

757160

Delaware

210

3,554

746340

Louisiana

260

2,744

713440

Indiana

220

3,109

683980

Mississippi

200

3,008

601600

Alabama

200

2,961

592200

Wyoming

120

3,151

378120

South Dakota

90

3,829

344610

North Dakota

80

4,051

324080

Kentucky

100

3,162

316200

New Mexico

70

3,125

218750

West Virginia

80

2,542

203360

Nebraska

60

3,369

202140

Nevada

50

3,831

191550

According to the research, based on the public data, New York, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Virginia are the most potentially profitable business locations for photographers in the USA. 

ConclusionBest States For A Photographer 2024 Based On Recent Data And Salary | Skylum Blog(6)

In this article, we observed the best regions of the USA to run a successful photography business. Understanding the potential impact of multiple factors on every enterprise's success, we modeled an ideal situation with no competition in the market. We considered only two primary parameters—demand and salary—omitting the deviation of their values defined by differences in the services provided (types and genres, skill level, etc.).

The data provided in our research should not be considered an urge to change your location or redefine your working path completely. These are statistical observations that may be helpful in building a successful photography career.

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Best States For A Photographer 2024 Based On Recent Data And Salary | Skylum Blog(7)

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