Models · SOC 41-9012
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Modelss
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas
Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for models. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Top 12 of 12 metro areas
| # | Metro area | Median annual | Employment | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, NY | $208,000 | 50 | 0.1 |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $109,820 | 400 | 0.1 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $107,280 | Not published | Not published |
| 4 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $99,320 | Not published | Not published |
| 5 | Anchorage, AK | $81,520 | 40 | 0.2 |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $53,700 | 50 | 0.0 |
| 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,150 | Not published | Not published |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $48,570 | Not published | Not published |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $47,170 | 30 | 0.0 |
| 10 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $45,060 | Not published | Not published |
| 11 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $34,610 | Not published | Not published |
| 12 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $34,330 | Not published | Not published |
Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Models overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.