Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$75,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$8,500
11% of base
Total target cash
$84,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$5,00050th$8,50075th$14,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Model is a professional role within the function in the Sales job family.
The Sales function covers building customer relationships, managing pipeline, and closing revenue.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:Social PerceptivenessSpeakingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingCoordinationTime Management
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Model pay by experience level
Entry level$35,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$37,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$50,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$103,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$136,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-0.5%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,200
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Model salary by industry
Educational Services
1,050 workers
$50,500
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
620 workers
$49,000
Educational Services, Privately Owned
480 workers
$50,500
Junior Colleges
360 workers
$51,000
Educational Services, Local Government Owned
350 workers
$52,500
Offices of Dentists
240 workers
$51,000
Educational Services, State Government Owned
210 workers
$46,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
100 workers
$31,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
70 workers
$67,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
70 workers
$67,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $31,910 to $48,470.
+51.9% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$35,500
Early career25th percentile
$37,000
Median50th percentile
$50,000
Experienced75th percentile
$103,000
Top earners90th percentile
$136,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Social PerceptivenessSpeakingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingCoordinationTime Management
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$75,500
2027$78,000
2028$81,000
2029$83,500
2030$86,500
2031$89,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
Get your Personal Pay Report for Model
Keep your market comparison in a print-ready PDF, with negotiation targets, a script using your numbers, and a five-year market-pay illustration. Career ladder where available.
StateYears of experienceCurrent salary
One-time purchase. Review the final total, including any applicable tax, in Stripe before you pay. Report available immediately after successful payment. Full refund on request within 7 days of purchase. Refund terms. Prefer to explore first? Run a free market check.
Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
Your free market check includes an estimated percentile and pay gap when you enter your salary. The paid report adds a PDF, negotiation targets and script, and a five-year market-pay illustration. See a full sample report
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Model make?
The average base salary for a Model in the United States is $75,500 per year, or about $36.30 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $37,000 and $103,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Sales roles?
The Sales job family averages $135,500 across 933 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Model pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
