Models pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $169,850 or more. The middle half of models in Los Angeles earn between $68,440 and $131,470.
- $64K10th
- $68K25th
- $110KMedian
- $131K75th
- $170K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $111,390 | $9,282 | $53.55 |
| Median | $109,820 | $9,152 | $52.80 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $68,440 | $5,703 | $32.90 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $131,470 | $10,956 | $63.21 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Models salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $111,390, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $80,926 a year, or $6,744 a month and $3,113 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Los Angeles a good place for models? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $111,390 buys what about $98,084 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 8.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Models salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 1st of 2 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Los Angeles$111,390
- San Francisco$59,630
Highest-paying cities for models
Rochester, NY pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($155,500).
- Rochester, NY$155,500
- Los Angeles, CA$111,390
- New York, NY$109,200
- Anchorage, AK$93,590
- Dallas, TX$92,410
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Models salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do models make an hour in Los Angeles?
$53.55 an hour on average, and $52.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level models salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $68,440, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the models take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $80,926 a year ($6,744 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $111,390. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do models earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($108,095).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 41-9012; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.7%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 2.64, this job is 2.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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