Models pay in the U.S.
$72,800avg. a year
$35.00 an hour · 3,780 employed
Models in the U.S. earn an average of $72,800 a year and a median of $48,470. Pay is highest in New York ($116,450) and lowest in Georgia ($28,840).
$48,470Median pay
$35.00Average hourly
+35%Avg. pay since 2020
3,780Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for models
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1
New York
$116,450
$55.98 an hour
2
Arizona
$87,790
$42.21 an hour
360 jobs
Illinois
$80,460
$38.68 an hour
4990 jobs
California
$72,810
$35.01 an hour
5620 jobs
Florida
$65,990
$31.73 an hour
6
New Jersey
$64,230
$30.88 an hour
7
Texas
$54,350
$26.13 an hour
8
Rhode Island
$48,760
$23.44 an hour
9120 jobs
Ohio
$48,370
$23.25 an hour
1040 jobs
Virginia
$47,780
$22.97 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Models pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $43k$43k–$49k$49k–$73k$73k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $111,390 | $53.55 |
Related jobs
- Real Estate Sales Agents$69,510
- Sales and Related Workers, All Other$58,510
- Demonstrators and Product Promoters$45,580
- Telemarketers$37,370
- Sales Engineers$130,140
- Real Estate Brokers$83,950
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Models pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $87,790 | $109,910 | – |
| California | $72,810 | $57,400 | 990 |
| Florida | $65,990 | $45,900 | 620 |
| Georgia | $28,840 | $15,080 | 130 |
| Illinois | $80,460 | $53,280 | 60 |
| Maryland | $45,080 | $47,170 | 40 |
| Missouri | $35,330 | $34,610 | – |
| Nebraska | $43,300 | $41,600 | – |
| New Hampshire | $40,780 | $39,890 | – |
| New Jersey | $64,230 | $60,520 | – |
| New York | $116,450 | $107,280 | – |
| Ohio | $48,370 | $42,550 | 120 |
| Oregon | $40,320 | $42,880 | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $48,760 | $45,060 | – |
| Texas | $54,350 | $46,840 | – |
| Virginia | $47,780 | $45,720 | 40 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$111,390
400 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do models make?
The average is $72,800 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $48,470 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $35.00, and the median is $23.30 an hour.
Which state pays models the most?
New York, with an average of $116,450 a year. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $111,390.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $34,190 a year, and the top 10% earn over $131,470.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 41-9012. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.