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Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators in California

Want to work as a Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators in California? Here’s what the data says. 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.

$45,850 Median Annual Wage (California)

$45,651 National Median Annual Wage

940 California Employment

Some Preparation Needed Typical Preparation

What do Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Make in California?

For photographic process workers and processing machine operators working in California, wages run about $45,850 per year (or about $22.04/hour).Pay can range from $33,850 at the 10th percentile to $80,040 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$33,850	$16.27
25th percentile	$37,470	$18.02
Median (50th)	$45,850	$22.04
75th percentile	$60,780	$29.22
90th percentile	$80,040	$38.48

Salary ranges for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators in California

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in California relative to the national average — is 1.45, meaning that photographic process workers and processing machine operators are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, photographic process workers and processing machine operators earn a median of $45,651 per year ($21.95/hour), exceeding the California median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 852,250 photographic process workers and processing machine operators nationwide. In California alone, approximately 940 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 100 photographic process workers and processing machine operators.

Forecasted number of jobs for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

Top California Metros for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

The largest metro-area employers of photographic process workers and processing machine operators in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	360	$48,600
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	120	$53,290
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	70	$47,100
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	70	$37,310
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	60	$49,350
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	40	$47,760

Top States for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators Employment

The table below shows the states where the most photographic process workers and processing machine operators work.

State	Number Employed
California	940
Michigan	720
North Carolina	460
Pennsylvania	350
New York	340
Indiana	260
Texas	190
Florida	170
Virginia	130
Maryland	120
Utah	110
Georgia	100
Tennessee	100
Wisconsin	90
New Jersey	90
Iowa	90
Washington	70
Oregon	60
Alabama	60
Kentucky	60

Highest-Paying States for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators

These states pay the most for photographic process workers and processing machine operators.

State	Annual Median Salary
New York	$72,160
Washington	$51,730
Michigan	$51,590
Maryland	$50,770
Ohio	$50,120
California	$45,850
Wisconsin	$44,750
New Jersey	$41,250
Utah	$40,250
Kentucky	$38,900

Skills

Key photographic process workers and processing machine operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Operations Monitoring 3.5 / 5

Quality Control Analysis 3.4 / 5

Active Listening 3.4 / 5

Speaking 3.2 / 5

Service Orientation 3.2 / 5

Reading Comprehension 3.2 / 5

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Customer and Personal Service 3.9 / 5

Computers and Electronics 3.7 / 5

Production and Processing 3.1 / 5

English Language 3.1 / 5

Mechanical 2.6 / 5

Chemistry 2.6 / 5

Abilities

Key abilities for photographic process workers and processing machine operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Near Vision 3.8 / 5

Visual Color Discrimination 3.6 / 5

Oral Comprehension 3.6 / 5

Oral Expression 3.5 / 5

Written Comprehension 3.4 / 5

Deductive Reasoning 3.2 / 5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, photographic process workers and processing machine operators typically:

Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software.
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.
Load digital images onto computers directly from cameras or from storage devices, such as flash memory cards or universal serial bus (USB) devices.
Operate special equipment to perform tasks such as transferring film to videotape or producing photographic enlargements.
Examine developed prints for defects, such as broken lines, spots, or blurs.
Read work orders to determine required processes, techniques, materials, or equipment.

Work Activities

Working with Computers
Controlling Machines and Processes
Getting Information
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
Thinking Creatively
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign In-demand technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related occupations to photographic process workers and processing machine operators include:

Also Known As

Air Brush Artist, Airbrush Artist, Art Tracer, Automatic Developer, Automatic Mounter, Automatic Print Developer, Black and White Printer Operator, Color Laboratory Technician, Color Printer Operator, Computer-Controlled Color Photograph Printer Operator, Copy Camera Operator, Copy and Print Associate, Darkroom Technician, Developer, Developing Machine Operator.

References

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
O*NET-SOC code: 51-9151.00

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