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Fashion Modeling

What Fashion Modeling Majors Need to Know

Programs in Fashion Modeling develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Fashion Modeling graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Fashion Modeling emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 1.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 2.5 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 2.4 / 5; level 1.9 / 7.
• Transportation — Importance 1.8 / 5; level 0.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 1.8 / 5; level 1.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Fashion Modeling program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 2.6 / 5; level 1.9 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 2.6 / 5; level 2.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Fashion Modeling careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
• Trunk Strength — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Fashion Modeling graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Performing General Physical Activities	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.2 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.0 / 7
Getting Information	2.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	2.7 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	2.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	2.5 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	2.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	2.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Fashion Modeling professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Apple iOS	Operating system software	—
Apple Safari	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Tumblr	Web page creation and editing software	—
Twitter	Instant messaging software	—
LinkedIn	Web page creation and editing software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Instagram	Instant messaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Fashion Modeling graduates include:

• Clothes Model
• Studio Model
• Life Drawing Model
• Art Class Model
• Agent Model
• Floor Model
• Nude Model
• Hat Model
• Professional Model
• Sales Model
• Photographer’s Model
• Hand Model
• Character Impersonator
• Artist’s Model
• Figure Model

What Can You Do With a Fashion Modeling Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Fashion Modeling commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Models	5.6%	$47,704	$40,523–$54,885
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers	0.0%	$62,334	$51,031–$73,636

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Fashion Modeling graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	75.3%
Less than a high school diploma	16.9%
Bachelor’s degree	4.3%
Some college courses	2.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.4%
Postsecondary certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Fashion Modeling Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Fashion Modeling graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,031
4 years	$44,812
5 years	$50,781

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $50,781 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Fashion Modeling Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Fashion Modeling graduates earn a median of $44,812 four years after completion — roughly 18% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations	3,606
Fashion Merchandising	2,847
Specialized Merchandising, Sales, and Marketing Operations, Other	233
Special Products Marketing Operations	145
Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations	144
Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations	77
Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations	53
Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations	41
Business and Personal/Financial Services Marketing Operations	26
Tourism Promotion Operations	25
Auctioneering	15
Reserved	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.