Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators
Also called: Photo Lab Technician (Photographic Laboratory Technician), Photo Printer, Photo Specialist, Photo TechnicianPerform 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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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 27 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 5.6% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 62% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $29,850 | $28,190 to $39,420 | 40 |
| Arizona | $36,650 | $36,600 to $39,600 | not published |
| California | $47,320 | $40,020 to $67,120 | 740 |
| Connecticut | $37,460 | $34,680 to $38,980 | 80 |
| Delaware | $42,220 | $42,220 to $42,220 | 30 |
| Florida | $46,840 | $34,860 to $49,230 | 450 |
| Georgia | $34,790 | $30,790 to $39,980 | 50 |
| Illinois | $37,940 | $31,200 to $46,780 | not published |
| Indiana | $37,670 | $36,580 to $45,830 | 240 |
| Iowa | $43,310 | $34,810 to $46,690 | 90 |
| Kentucky | $37,430 | $30,090 to $44,280 | 120 |
| Louisiana | $36,500 | $35,200 to $47,110 | 60 |
| Maryland | $45,600 | $36,330 to $62,650 | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $38,400 | $38,400 to $42,890 | not published |
| Michigan | $38,610 | $34,710 to $45,560 | 150 |
| Missouri | $33,540 | $30,800 to $44,870 | 100 |
| New Jersey | $43,300 | $36,430 to $45,240 | 110 |
| New York | $57,760 | $48,710 to $81,490 | 400 |
| North Carolina | $35,580 | $34,680 to $46,200 | 320 |
| Ohio | $29,770 | $29,380 to $30,600 | 190 |
| Oregon | $39,940 | $39,940 to $45,560 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,340 | $33,680 to $39,200 | 160 |
| South Carolina | $30,010 | $29,210 to $34,310 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $29,050 | $19,690 to $35,720 | 110 |
| Texas | $35,950 | $32,230 to $44,650 | 160 |
| Utah | $39,510 | $37,960 to $42,270 | 60 |
| Virginia | $47,380 | $36,940 to $54,110 | 110 |
| Washington | $46,280 | $38,440 to $75,310 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $46,480 | $41,180 to $58,150 | 60 |
Nationally: $40,610. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 27 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Select digital images for printing, specify number of images to be printed, and direct to printer, using computer software. | Not published |
| AI + software | Create prints according to customer specifications and laboratory protocols. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review computer-processed digital images for quality. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate scanners or related computer equipment to digitize negatives, photographic prints, or other images. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Set or adjust machine controls, according to specifications, type of operation, or material requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Load digital images onto computers directly from cameras or from storage devices, such as flash memory cards or universal serial bus (USB) devices. | Not published |
See all 27 tasks
| Not much | Insert processed negatives and prints into envelopes for delivery to customers. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine developed prints for defects, such as broken lines, spots, or blurs. | Not published |
| Not much | Read work orders to determine required processes, techniques, materials, or equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Produce color or black-and-white photographs, negatives, or slides, applying standard photographic reproduction techniques and procedures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Reprint originals for enlargement or in sections to be pieced together. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain records, such as quantities or types of processing completed, materials used, or customer charges. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Monitor equipment operation to detect malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Fill tanks of processing machines with solutions such as developer, dyes, stop-baths, fixers, bleaches, or washes. | Not published |
| Not much | Load circuit boards, racks or rolls of film, negatives, or printing paper into processing or printing machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure and mix chemicals to prepare solutions for processing, according to formulas. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate special equipment to perform tasks such as transferring film to videotape or producing photographic enlargements. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean or maintain photoprocessing or darkroom equipment, using ultrasonic equipment or cleaning and rinsing solutions. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine drawings, negatives, or photographic prints to determine coloring, shading, accenting, or other changes required for retouching or restoration. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine quality of film fades or dissolves for potential color corrections, using color analyzers. | Not published |
| Not much | Place sensitized paper in frames of projection printers, photostats, or other reproduction machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Immerse film, negatives, paper, or prints in developing solutions, fixing solutions, and water to complete photographic development processes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Upload digital images onto Web sites for customers. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Thread filmstrips through densitometers or sensitometers and expose film to light to determine density of film, necessary color corrections, or light sensitivity. | Not published |
| Not much | Produce timed prints with separate densities or color settings for each scene of a production. | Not published |
| AI + software | Retouch photographic negatives or original prints to correct defects. | Not published |
| Not much | Splice broken or separated film and mount film on reels. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 3 of the 27 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 27 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #35 Process digital or online data
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment | |||
| Process digital or online data | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Apply decorative finishes |
Show all 16 activities
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Process shipments or mail | |||
| Prepare industrial materials for processing or use |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An image or graphic25%
- A script or snippet7%
- Data or a spreadsheet6%
- An analysis or summary5%
- A document or report5%
How they worked with Claude
62% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for photographic process workers and processing machine operators specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 26,926 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 3%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 21,489 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 2 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 4%
- 3 Cashiers High -6.5% 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 84% high school
- 2% postsecondary certificate
- 8% some college
- 1% associate's
- 5% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 27 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 9% high school
- 13% some college
- 4% associate's
- 46% bachelor's
- 22% master's
- 2% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 357 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 7 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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