Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Career, Salary and Skills
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $40,610 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 4,800. Wage data is published for 54 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
51-9151.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$40,610
Hourly median
$19.52
Employment
4,800
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$30,090
10th
$35,170
25th
$40,610
Median
$50,150
75th
$68,800
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.50 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.38 | 2.75 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Speaking | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Operation and Control | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.12 | 2.75 |
Typical tasks
- Create prints according to customer specifications and laboratory protocols.
- Produce color or black-and-white photographs, negatives, or slides, applying standard photographic reproduction techniques and procedures.
- Set or adjust machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, or material requirements.
- Review computer-processed digital images for quality.
- Operate scanners or related computer equipment to digitize negatives, photographic prints, or other images.
- Fill tanks of processing machines with solutions such as developer, dyes, stop-baths, fixers, bleaches, or washes.
- Measure and mix chemicals to prepare solutions for processing, according to formulas.
- Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software.
Technology
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Amazon Web Services AWS software
- Camera Bits Photo Mechanic
- Cascading style sheets CSS
- Docker
- ExpressDigital Labtricity
- Git
- HeliconSoft Helicon Focus
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in CAMedian $47,320 · Employment 740
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in FLMedian $46,840 · Employment 450
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in NYMedian $57,760 · Employment 400
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in New York, NYMedian $52,000 · Employment 390
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in NCMedian $35,580 · Employment 320
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $47,450 · Employment 280
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in INMedian $37,670 · Employment 240
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in MDMedian $45,600 · Employment 200
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in OHMedian $29,770 · Employment 190
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in PAMedian $37,340 · Employment 160
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in TXMedian $35,950 · Employment 160
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Salary in MIMedian $38,610 · Employment 150
Related careers
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- Photonics TechniciansNational median $78,350
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and TendersNational median $38,180
- Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine RepairersNational median $47,810
- Patternmakers, Metal and PlasticNational median $58,000
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersNational median $46,350
- Calibration Technologists and TechniciansNational median $67,820
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and WeighersNational median $48,570
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.