Demonstrators and Product Promoters
Median $39,320
Occupation · SOC 41-9012
Models: pay and where the jobs are
What models earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$48,470 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $72,800
- Median hourly wage
- $23.30
- Mean hourly wage
- $35.00
- Employment
- 3,780
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 41-9012.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among models nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter your pay to see where it falls.
Use these numbers
How much do models make?
The median annual wage for models was $48,470 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,190 and the highest-paid 10% more than $131,470. As an hourly rate, the median is $23.30. About 3,780 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Arizona ($109,910), New York ($107,280) and New Jersey ($60,520). Arizona also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for models looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,190 | $16.44 | $2,849 | $2,471 |
| 25th percentile | $35,710 | $17.17 | $2,976 | $2,573 |
| Median | $48,470 | $23.30 | $4,039 | $3,427 |
| 75th percentile | $99,320 | $47.75 | $8,277 | $6,558 |
| 90th percentile | $131,470 | $63.21 | $10,956 | $8,427 |
Models: pay by state
16 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$83,234 take-home in national prices
2
$72,802 take-home in national prices
3
$44,637 take-home in national prices
Where a median model paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Not published | $109,910 | $35,050 | $109,920 | $83,798 | $83,234 |
| New York | Not published | $107,280 | $44,720 | $213,740 | $78,569 | $72,802 |
| New Jersey | Not published | $60,520 | $50,290 | $117,070 | $48,567 | $44,637 |
| California | 990 | $57,400 | $35,400 | $131,470 | $46,071 | $41,611 |
| Illinois | 60 | $53,280 | $36,450 | $156,000 | $42,498 | $42,516 |
| Maryland | 40 | $47,170 | $40,980 | $47,170 | $38,207 | $36,401 |
| Texas | Not published | $46,840 | $29,010 | $72,850 | $39,816 | $41,023 |
| Florida | 620 | $45,900 | $34,190 | $99,320 | $39,061 | $37,771 |
| Virginia | 40 | $45,720 | $31,910 | $48,820 | $37,101 | $36,696 |
| Rhode Island | Not published | $45,060 | $45,060 | $45,070 | $36,817 | $35,996 |
| Oregon | 40 | $42,880 | $33,450 | $45,720 | $33,721 | $32,624 |
| Ohio | 120 | $42,550 | $31,990 | $67,790 | $35,642 | $38,418 |
| Nebraska | Not published | $41,600 | $40,730 | $42,790 | $34,592 | $38,392 |
| New Hampshire | Not published | $39,890 | $35,080 | $46,840 | $34,232 | $32,863 |
| Missouri | Not published | $34,610 | $28,600 | $45,380 | $29,300 | $32,262 |
| Georgia | 130 | $15,080 | $15,080 | $55,790 | $13,922 | $14,458 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 41-9012. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.