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Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
7 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for REPRODUCTION TECHNICIAN (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| COLORIST, PHOTOGRAPHY | 0084 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| FILM DEVELOPER | 0921 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| FILM LAB TECHNICIAN | 0907 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| FILM LAB TECHNICIAN I | 0908 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| PHOTOGRAPH RETOUCHER | 0912 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| PROJECTION PRINTER | 0413 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| REPRODUCTION TECHNICIAN | 0092 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What photographic process workers and processing machine operators earn, by state
New York has the highest state median for photographic process workers and processing machine operators ($57,760) and Tennessee the lowest ($29,050), across the 29 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $57,760 | $27.77 | 400 |
| Virginia | $47,380 | $22.78 | 110 |
| California | $47,320 | $22.75 | 740 |
| Florida | $46,840 | $22.52 | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $46,480 | $22.35 | 60 |
| Washington | $46,280 | $22.25 | 80 |
| Maryland | $45,600 | $21.92 | 200 |
| Iowa | $43,310 | $20.82 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $43,300 | $20.82 | 110 |
| Delaware | $42,220 | $20.30 | 30 |
| Oregon | $39,940 | $19.20 | 40 |
| Utah | $39,510 | $19.00 | 60 |
| Michigan | $38,610 | $18.56 | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $38,400 | $18.46 | Not published |
| Illinois | $37,940 | $18.24 | Not published |
| Indiana | $37,670 | $18.11 | 240 |
| Connecticut | $37,460 | $18.01 | 80 |
| Kentucky | $37,430 | $18.00 | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,340 | $17.95 | 160 |
| Arizona | $36,650 | $17.62 | Not published |
| Louisiana | $36,500 | $17.55 | 60 |
| Texas | $35,950 | $17.28 | 160 |
| North Carolina | $35,580 | $17.11 | 320 |
| Georgia | $34,790 | $16.72 | 50 |
| Missouri | $33,540 | $16.12 | 100 |
| South Carolina | $30,010 | $14.43 | 50 |
| Alabama | $29,850 | $14.35 | 40 |
| Ohio | $29,770 | $14.31 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $29,050 | $13.97 | 110 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).