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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. CareerOneStop's licensing data records no state license for Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators, which usually means it is not a licensed occupation. Requirements can still vary by employer and state.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 4 professional certifications to Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Press Operator Certification. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round photographic process workers and processing machine operators ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $71,100 with some college or an associate's degree, $93,400 with a bachelor's degree and $101,500 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of photographic process workers and processing machine operators work in Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (35%), Manufacturing (14%), Finance and Insurance (9%) and Retail Trade (7%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most photographic process workers and processing machine operators are Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (55% of the jobs counted, median pay $39,510), Other Personal Services (20% of the jobs counted, median pay $37,180), Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4% of the jobs counted, median pay $38,280), Employment Services (4% of the jobs counted, median pay $35,580) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services ($39,510), Other Personal Services ($37,180). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Other production occupations", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 122.1 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 11.9% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,161 for union members and $945 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to photographic process workers and processing machine operators.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 75% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 80% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 77% had paid sick leave, 90% paid vacation and 92% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to photographic process workers and processing machine operators, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.63 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Production" in June 2026 ($25.21 in wages and salaries and $12.42 in benefits, 33.0% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for photographic process workers and processing machine operators are: face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (99%), telephone conversations (89%), time pressure (86%), contact with others (81%), indoors, environmentally controlled (78%), deal with external customers or the public in general (74%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (44% of 27 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (41% of 26 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (34% of 26 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to photographic process workers and processing machine operators in the work done and the skills used: Prepress Technicians and Workers, Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers, Printing Press Operators, Etchers and Engravers, Office Machine Operators, Except Computer, Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers, Semiconductor Processing Technicians, Print Binding and Finishing Workers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare photographic process workers and processing machine operators with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →