Model salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a model is $57,200 per annum, before tax, up $12,000 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Day rates vary with the client, the campaign and how the images will be used, and agency commission usually comes out of your fee before you are paid.
- Ask on the booking whether the fee covers a set usage period or a full buyout, since the same shoot day can be worth very different amounts.
- Weekly pay also hides the gaps between jobs, so judge a year of bookings instead of one good month.
The median salary rose by $12,000 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than model
The largest typical pay rise is $30,800 a year, moving into Actor.
- Actor+$30,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher model salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time model salary is $57,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Performance and stagecraft tend to command a premium over general model experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Actor pays a typical $30,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Model salary questions
How much do models earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a model is $57,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is model pay rising or falling?
The median model salary is up $12,000 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than model?
Actor pays a typical $30,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to model.
Related salaries
- Makeup Artist salary
- Actor salary
- Stunt Performer salary
- Dancer salary
- Circus Performer salary
- Musician salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.