How to become a model

Sales · SOC 41-9012

How you get in

Most people are hired and trained on the job, so school is optional. A program can still help you stand out.

1. No formal educational credential (a program is optional for this job)
2. Work as a model

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Fashion Modeling	CIP 52.1903	0

Open this career in the app →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a model?

Typically no schooling after high school. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do models make?

The US median is $48,470 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become a model?

No. Most people are hired and trained on the job; a program is optional.

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Sales

Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel · First-line supervisors of retail sales workers · Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products · Insurance sales agents · Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents · Real estate sales agents · Parts salespersons · Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products