Models
Also called: Art Model, Artist's Model, Figure Model, ModelModel garments or other apparel and accessories for prospective buyers at fashion shows, private showings, or retail establishments. May pose for photos to be used in magazines or advertisements. May pose as subject for paintings, sculptures, and other types of artistic expression.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 10 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 2.1% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 9.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Models, demonstrators, and product promoters”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.8 hires for every 10 job openings in private educational services, which employs about 64% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.8 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $109,910 | $36,920 to $109,920 | not published |
| California | $57,400 | $35,400 to $107,900 | 990 |
| Florida | $45,900 | $37,150 to $99,320 | 620 |
| Georgia | $15,080 | $15,080 to $43,150 | 130 |
| Illinois | $53,280 | $42,910 to $143,970 | 60 |
| Maryland | $47,170 | $43,880 to $47,170 | 40 |
| Missouri | $34,610 | $28,910 to $38,480 | not published |
| Nebraska | $41,600 | $41,600 to $42,790 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $39,890 | $39,850 to $39,890 | not published |
| New Jersey | $60,520 | $60,520 to $60,520 | not published |
| New York | $107,280 | $91,620 to $160,920 | not published |
| Ohio | $42,550 | $38,590 to $51,060 | 120 |
| Oregon | $42,880 | $36,890 to $42,910 | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $45,060 | $45,060 to $45,060 | not published |
| Texas | $46,840 | $29,010 to $54,960 | not published |
| Virginia | $45,720 | $38,760 to $46,240 | 40 |
Nationally: $48,470. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 10 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Pose for artists and photographers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record rates of pay and durations of jobs on vouchers. | Not published |
| AI alone | Report job completions to agencies and obtain information about future appointments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Gather information from agents concerning the pay, dates, times, provisions, and lengths of jobs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Pose as directed, or strike suitable interpretive poses for promoting and selling merchandise or fashions during appearances, filming, or photo sessions. | Not published |
| Not much | Follow strict routines of diet, sleep, and exercise to maintain appearance. | Not published |
See all 10 tasks
| Not much | Work closely with photographers, fashion coordinators, directors, producers, stylists, make-up artists, other models, and clients to produce the desired looks, and to finish photo shoots on schedule. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble and maintain portfolios, print composite cards, and travel to go-sees to obtain jobs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Apply makeup to face and style hair to enhance appearance, considering such factors as color, camera techniques, and facial features. | Not published |
| Not much | Dress in sample or completed garments, and select accessories. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 10 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 10 tasks fall under 8 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #44 Gather data about operational or development activities
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promote products, services, or programs | |||
| Gather data about operational or development activities | |||
| Perform athletic activities for fitness, competition, or artistic purposes | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Arrange displays or decorations | |||
| Identify business or organizational opportunities | |||
| Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An email or message17%
- Data or a spreadsheet12%
- Ideas or a brainstorm8%
- An analysis or summary4%
- Configuration or infrastructure4%
How they worked with Claude
79% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for models specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 4,949 moves out
- 1 Environmental Engineers Very high +6.3% 10%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 7%
- 3 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 5%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 5 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 3,928 moves in
- 1 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 6%
- 2 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 5%
- 3 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 5%
- 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 17% less than high school
- 76% high school
- 2% some college
- 4% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 21 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 11% less than high school
- 25% high school
- 27% some college
- 12% associate's
- 19% bachelor's
- 6% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Models, demonstrators, and product promoters” · 390 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
1 program: Fashion Modeling.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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