What can a commercial model earn?

Now there’s a question which won’t come up in a pub quiz.

The answer, of course, is that a model’s wages vary depending on the job. This is because not all jobs are identical, and clients have different budgets (these could also vary depending on the time of year). What can be said with some authority is that commercial modelling can supply a model with useful income to supplement a regular income. And who wouldn’t want that?

The benefits of commercial modelling are apparent to everyone. Commercial modelling places “everyday” people in promotions and advertising campaigns, thus the model’s task is to represent the client to a large customer base: usually the general public. That’s why a lot of commercial models don’t require specific modelling experience. Confidence, knowledge of the client and an outgoing character are important qualities all successful commercial models require, and the more jobs a model takes on, the more in demand they become. Naturally, more bookings should follow, equating to more money.

When it comes to hard facts, the amount is difficult to disclose. If we were pushed to mention a figure, commercial models can earn from £150 per assignment, right up to thousands of pounds. Sometimes – not taking into account travel – a commercial modelling job may only last a few hours. Our commercial models certainly have fun, and earn more than most for their efforts, so the work ranks highly in terms of payment and is well worthwhile.

Finance can be a tricky subject. Fees, too, are difficult to negotiate successfully. Fortunately for you lucky bunch, Models Direct has skilled booking agents who correspond with our clients, ensuring our models are paid fairly with some of the best rates in the industry. Additionally, we discuss travel expenses and transport options, as well as food and drink, so taking care of our talented partners is an essential part of our business.

Crucially, we don’t allocate any modelling assignments on the basis of “TFP” – “Time for Prints”. This is where models and photographers have an arrangement where neither party is paid, but they both receive the photographs from their collaboration. It’s designed to be symbiotic – whereby both model and photographer benefit – however this way of working isn’t for everyone. All our model’s assignments are paid work, getting the most out of our client’s needs and our model’s talent.

So, to summarize. Fees are dependent on the following:

  • The client’s budget. Loosely speaking, the larger the client, the bigger the budget.
  • The time of the year. Do clients set aside more promotional budgets for the summer than, say, January?
  • The scale of the job. Obviously, a job requiring days rather than hours will command higher fees.
  • A model’s experience. Generally, an experienced model’s fees are higher than those of a newcomer (although inexperienced talent is always welcome!) 
  • Additional talents. Models who can also act, sing, or play an instrument may very well achieve higher fees.

Models Direct is a top trusted UK agency through which paid models thrive, have fun, and increase their regular wages. Click here to see how some our models have fared.

You’ll soon be gaining contacts and benefitting from enjoyable work, complete with extra income in your back pocket!