Modeling was a hobby and a normal activity until 1853 when Charles Frederick Worth decided that it should become a profession! Considering that 1853 is a long time ago, the payments weren’t as they are today, and when a profession just starts it is a bit confusing the part of the payment.
Being in 2022, modeling is one of the most famous professions all over the world, and there are many models, male and female. Nowadays everybody knows at least five models!
If you are considering becoming a model, but have no idea how the payment works, in this article I will get into more details about this issue!
How much do models get paid per shoot? Let’s together see!
The payments are mostly related to the USA.
How Much Do Models Get Paid per Shoot?
As mentioned above, modeling is one of the most famous professions nowadays, and it is in a way divided. We have different types of modeling and of course, there are different types of payments. Who gets paid more though?
1. Runway Models
For those that don’t know what a runway model is: a runway model is one that poses on a stage and they are hired from different clothing brands. They walk in front of an audience in order to show what the brand’s new launches are.
If you think that a runway model earns a lot of money, you are more than right! A runway model can earn $300 to $800 per single show. What should be mentioned is that the show can last 1 hour and even 12 hours, so it is a bit hard, but in the end, the pay is quite good.
However, being a runway model is not that easy since there are some requirements. You should ae a good walk (catwalk), you should be tall, slim, and also considering the fact that you are wearing some designer’s clothes, they should fit you.
2. Portrait Models
Hence the name, a portrait model is the one that poses in front of a camera and mostly, these models are hired by make-up and other different brands all over the world, that for example bring face-related products, in order to show their releasement.
A portrait model can earn around $100 per hour, and it depends definitely on how many hours of shooting is done. If the model is hired by an agency the payment is expanded to $250 per hour.
The only rule to becoming a portrait model is to have a pretty symmetrical face.
3. Hand Models
There may be models that you have never seen their faces. How is that? Well, those models show only their hands or even their feet! A hand/feet model mostly works with brands that bring pieces of jewelry, nail polishes, and hand/feet creams.
The payment of these models is around $100 to $150 per hour, and the schedule is flexible. The ones that hire you, choose how much work is needed to be done.
What is required? Well, pretty hands are a must and also that means that you have to take some good care of them.
4. Instagram Models
As you know, Instagram nowadays is one of the most superior social media platforms that are able to gather around it lots of people. As a definition, Instagram’s purpose is to “make” people share images or videos, and that way they kind of earn an “audience”. It is definitely a place to become a model! You may have heard about influencers on Instagram, that is the name for models.
Influencers do get paid, but not from Instagram itself! What should be known is that it varies in the number of followers that you have!
Most Instagram models are related to different sponsorships from different brands, and basically, they are paid by them. A model can make $88 per post. For example, if you have more than 50k followers, you may earn $200 per post.
If we consider the fact that there are models who have millions of followers, you should know that they can earn about $10,000 – $50,000 per post, which is a lot of money!
In order to become a model on Instagram, you should have more than 1000 or more than 1500 followers, and after that, you should have some sponsors.
5. Freelance Models
A freelance model is a professional model, that works fully independent from the agencies, and they are not hired by anyone. They book their own jobs and do their own appointments. It is a bit of a challenging job, but in the USA, these models seem to do just fine.
Being self-employed, a freelance model chooses himself/herself the payment that they want, but still, there’s an average of $200 per shoot. Some freelance models at the beginning of their careers work for free!
Promotion is the key to becoming a freelance model! You would definitely need some help from the people that you know!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do models get free stuff?
Now, this fully depends on the job that you are doing! If you are a runway model, don’t expect to get anything for free, but you can still have some sales by the designers that are showing their jobs.
As a hand model or an Instagram model that I mentioned above, you definitely can get free stuff. As I said, Instagram models work with sponsors, and they get free stuff almost all of the time!
Does the agency that hires the model, earn money?
This issue is related to the contract, that the model has made with a particular agency. Agencies do get some percentage of the payment, it may be 50% but it can also be 10% or even 5%.
What deserves to be mentioned here is that the freelance models seem to earn more regarding this fact! Once paid, they don’t have to give money to anyone!
Final Words
Here, we came to the end of this article! Always remember that becoming a model isn’t the easiest thing in the whole world, especially if a type of modeling requires some things, which may lower your self-esteem!
Don’t worry about that!
Everybody is beautiful in their own way, and everybody in themselves is a model!
Photographer & Writer
I specialize in landscape, street and portrait photography and I have been featured in various galleries and publications. I believe that photography is a way to tell stories!