Models
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Models in the United States earn a median salary of $48,470 per year — about $23 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 7K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -1%.
AI & Automation Risk
While runway and live event modeling require physical presence, the majority of modeling work results in digital or print imagery which is highly vulnerable to AI-generated synthetic media. AI can now create hyper-realistic virtual models or 'digital twins' of existing models, allowing brands to showcase clothing and products without physical photo shoots, significantly reducing the demand for human labor in commercial and catalog sectors.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NYBEST VALUE | $208,000 | Average (98.4) | $211,406 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $109,820 | Above avg (114.7) | $95,705 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $107,280 | Above avg (112.6) | $95,237 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $99,320 | Above avg (112.1) | $88,609 |
| Anchorage, AK | $81,520 | Above avg (106.8) | $76,350 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $53,700 | Average (102.5) | $52,397 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,150 | Average (102.5) | $49,907 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $45,060 | Average (101.5) | $44,389 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $47,170 | Above avg (109.5) | $43,061 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $48,570 | Above avg (117.6) | $41,318 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $34,610 | Below avg (95.0) | $36,442 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $34,330 | Average (102.4) | $33,538 |