Models Salary
The median pay for a models in St. Louis, MO-IL is $34,610/year ($16.64/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.09), that's roughly $36,397 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,218/month, about 51.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in St. Louis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by St. Louis’s Regional Price Parity (95.09). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About models
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What this looks like in St. Louis
Pay for models in St. Louis runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,218/month, which is 50.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for modelss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for models in metros near St. Louis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $54K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, St. Louis, MO-IL
Entry-level models (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Models pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Models salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $110K | +127% | N/A |
| New York | $107K | +121% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $61K | +25% | N/A |
| California | $57K | +18% | 990 |
| Illinois | $53K | +10% | 60 |
| Maryland | $47K | -3% | 40 |
| Texas | $47K | -3% | N/A |
| Florida | $46K | -5% | 620 |
| Virginia | $46K | -6% | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $45K | -7% | N/A |
| Oregon | $43K | -12% | 40 |
| Ohio | $43K | -12% | 120 |
| Nebraska | $42K | -14% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $40K | -18% | N/A |
| Missouri | $35K | -29% | N/A |
| Georgia | $15K | -69% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track models salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when St. Louis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a model afford a 2BR apartment alone in St. Louis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 50.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,218/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for models in St. Louis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new models typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,724/month. At HUD’s $1,218/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is model a high-paying job in St. Louis?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $35K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does St. Louis compare to the national average for models?
St. Louis pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do models make in St. Louis, MO-IL?
The median is $34,610 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,740, and experienced models can clear $48,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in St. Louis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,417/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,218/month, which eats 50.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a models salary go in St. Louis?
St. Louis has a Regional Price Parity of 95.09 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median models salary is worth about $36,397 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do models get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.