Models Salary: $82,578 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 5,350 models nationally earn a mean of $82,578. Employment in the series shown rose about 38% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 10.0% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Models: what the data shows
Common questions about models careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a models?
Models is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 41-9012.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,350 workers.
What does a models do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Performing General Physical Activities, Thinking Creatively, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Scheduling Work and Activities, Getting Information, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a models make?
BLS national median annual wage: $89,990 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $82,578.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,909 |
| 25th percentile | $42,332 |
| Median (50th) | $63,805 |
| 75th percentile | $126,464 |
| 90th percentile | $129,184 |
What education do you need?
For Models, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Fine Arts, Transportation. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is models in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 10.0% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 61.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 159.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,350.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do modelss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,350 | 28.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 4,900 | 25.8% |
| Educational Services | 2,420 | 12.8% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 1,700 | 9.0% |
| Educational Services | 1,210 | 6.4% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 560 | 3.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Models in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Models workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,350 Workforce in 2023
The Models workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Models.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$82,578 Average Wage
In 2023, Models earned an average of $82,578.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Models.
Salary distribution for Models.
Employment Growth Projections
10.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
5,187 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 61.1%
8,357 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 159.6%
This occupation is projected to grow at 10.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Models.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Models and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Models employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Models.
Wage Trends by Industry
-17.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -45.0% growth (Current: $99,239)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Models.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Models.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 880 employees, $80,760 avg wage
- OH: 350 employees, $45,990 avg wage
- PA: 120 employees, $72,220 avg wage
- IL: 50 employees, $44,690 avg wage
- VA: 50 employees, $56,080 avg wage
- UT: 40 employees, N/A avg wage
- MD: 30 employees, $44,840 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Models.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 600 employees, $91,650 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 80 employees, $69,850 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 60 employees, $53,700 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 50 employees, $54,210 avg wage
- Akron, OH: 30 employees, $44,730 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 30 employees, $42,490 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Models.
Diversity
Demographic information on Models in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Models in 2023 was 5,350 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Models.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Models.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Models.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Models in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Models.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Models workers.
Education level distribution for Models.
Skills
Models need many skills, but most especially Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Active Listening, Coordination, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Models.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Models.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Models include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Fine Arts, Transportation, Communications and Media.
Knowledge areas required for Models.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Models include Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Speech Clarity, Speech Recognition, Trunk Strength.
Required abilities for Models.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Models.
Daily Activities
Models spend their time on activities such as Performing General Physical Activities, Thinking Creatively, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Scheduling Work and Activities, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Models.
About
Models
The average yearly wage for Models was $82,578 in 2023.
SOC Code
41-9012 - Models
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Models reports an average salary of $82,578.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,350 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 10.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.