How much does a photo lab technician make?
a year · about $20 an hour
A typical photo lab technician in the United States makes $40,610 a year, about $20 an hour, below a typical US worker ($50,980) (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
A workday can include sorting orders, loading film or paper into machines, mixing developer, and adjusting printers. The tech scans negatives, checks digital images, makes prints, and packs finished orders.
Did you know? Photo lab technicians may mix developing chemicals and also scan film negatives to turn them into digital images.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $30,090 and $68,800How do you become one?
Finish high school or earn a GED, then apply for an entry-level photo lab job and learn the equipment and image processing on the job. You can also train through a U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship, such as Film Lab Technician.
School needed: High school plus some training
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., experience, useful skills or credentials, the employer, location, and specialized tasks can all affect pay. Overtime or premium shifts may add pay; fame usually matters less in this behind-the-scenes job.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in New York ($57,760), lowest in Tennessee ($29,050).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,090 | $40,610 | $68,800 | about 5,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $57,760 | about 400 |
| Virginia | $47,380 | about 110 |
| California | $47,320 | about 740 |
| Florida | $46,840 | about 450 |
| Wisconsin | $46,480 | about 60 |
Official definition: Perform work involved in developing and processing photographic images from film or digital media. May perform precision tasks such as editing photographic negatives and prints.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-9151.00
- www.mynextmove.org/profile/summary/51-9151.00
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes519151.htm
- www.bls.gov/occupation-finder.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/bls/wages.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY