Growing up, a lot of people dreamed of being models someday. What is more glamorous than wearing expensive outfits and posing while photographers, make-up artists, and creative directors fuss over you? The image of strutting down the runway holds a thrill that only a few professions can match. However, what we see in videos and magazines doesn’t necessarily portray the modeling career accurately. The reality is a far cry from what we are meant to believe especially in the salaries of these models.
While there are models at the very top of the industry who earn millions of dollars annually, this is not true for a majority of the lot. Thanks to the fleshly lifestyle that follows the profession, modeling is generally considered a lucrative profession. For a lot of models who are up-and-coming, especially the ones who are not yet of legal working age, they frequently have a hard time getting their wages paid on time or not at all. Some brands have been known to pay models by giving them free products or clothes in exchange for their work instead of money.
The pay that models make is not fixed and usually varies depending on the job at hand and the type of modeling involved. However, the more in demand a model is, the more the money they will make, which is why the most sought after models in the world are considered supermodels and they have fat bank accounts as proof of their value.
Salary of Models In The US
In the United States, how much a model makes as salary is dependent on where she is working and the sector she is working in. The salary of models does not have a set amount, but models in some locations tend to make more money than their counterparts in other areas. California is considered one of the best place to work as a model because the average salary of models is about $42,000 a year.
In other places like Colorado, models can earn $40,000 on average per year. Other states where models can secure higher earnings include Ohio, Washington D.C, and Missouri. In New York, models earn about $48,000 a year on average.
How much a model makes is also dependent on the product the model is promoting. The median salary of models in scientific, technical, or professional sectors starts around $51,000, while those who advertise products in the educational sector have theirs at about $33,000.
Like most professions, experience also impacts a model’s earning power. New models tend to take home smaller paychecks than models who have been in the business for a longer time. Also, known brands usually pay regular models from $800 to $1000 for a single photoshoot, while lesser-known brands tend to pay more because they have less to offer in terms of exposure. Online stores have been known to pay between $300 and $2500 on average per shoot. Lingerie, high fashion, campaign, and runway models tend to be paid more than their counterparts who are hand models or photographic models.
What Models Earn In Other Developed Nations
You’re probably wondering if the salary of models differs in other developed nations. Yes, it does, but it also revolves around the same factors such as experience, industry, or even whether the model is an independent contractor or working with an agency.
In the United Kingdom, the average amount of money that models make in a year is around £40,000 and £50,000. More experienced models can boast of £150,000 or more in salaries. Of course, if the model is a lot more famous like the Gigi and Bella Hadids of this world, they can command a lot more money from hundreds of thousands to even millions in earnings. Models can also get other complimentary gifts to augment their payments like free clothes, beauty products, and other accessories.
The Salary Of Models In Developing Nations
Asia is one of the largest markets for models to expand their craft. The height requirements are a bit more relaxed and the agencies tend to be more committed to advancing the careers of the models they represent. However, modeling agencies usually take a much higher percentage from the models’ earnings if the models end up becoming successful. If they do not, unlike agencies in the west, the models will not be required to pay back the money that has been spent trying to build her career. In Asia and Africa, models can anywhere from $40 to $1200 an hour for the gigs they book.
