Models
Model garments or other apparel and accessories for prospective buyers at fashion shows, private showings, or retail establishments. May pose for photos to be used in magazines or advertisements. May pose as subject for paintings, sculptures, and other types of artistic expression.
What it pays
Models earn a median of $23.30/hr — about $48,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.44/hr; the top 10% earn $63.21/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Models earn a median of $23.30/hr — about $48,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.44/hr; the top 10% earn $63.21/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Pose for artists and photographers.
- Record rates of pay and durations of jobs on vouchers.
- Gather information from agents concerning the pay, dates, times, provisions, and lengths of jobs.
- Report job completions to agencies and obtain information about future appointments.
- Assemble and maintain portfolios, print composite cards, and travel to go-sees to obtain jobs.
- Pose as directed, or strike suitable interpretive poses for promoting and selling merchandise or fashions during appearances, filming, or photo sessions.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 16.3% of models are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are creative, hands-on and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Advertising Sales Agents
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
- Real Estate Brokers
- Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
- First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
Quick questions
- How much does a model make?
- The median pay is $23.30 per hour — roughly $48,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.44/hr (10th percentile) to $63.21/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a model?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a model actually do all day?
- Pose for artists and photographers. Record rates of pay and durations of jobs on vouchers. Gather information from agents concerning the pay, dates, times, provisions, and lengths of jobs.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.