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Money·9 min read · updated Oct 1, 2026
How much do models actually get paid?
Rates by type of job, by city, and — the part nobody prints — what arrives on the account after commission and contributions, and when. Indicative ranges as of September 2026; every market has its exceptions.
A model’s day rate runs from nothing on an editorial to €1,500–8,000 on a campaign in Paris, with e-commerce around €400–900; image rights on a campaign are often worth one to five times the day. On an agency job in France about 20% goes in commission and roughly 22% of the rest in employee contributions, so a €1,100 fee lands near €686, plus the rights paid separately. The money usually arrives 60 to 90 days after the end of the month of the shoot.
Written by the Odette team · reviewed by Arthur Feingold, Swapp Studio. About Odette
Rates by type of job.
Paris references. London, Milan and New York sit within about 20%; the city table has the rest.
| Type | Day rate | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | €400–900 / day | Volume work, 40 to 120 looks a day, usually no separate rights (web use included, one year) |
| Lookbook | €500–1,200 / day | Smaller volume, better light; web and press use usually included |
| Editorial | €0–250 | Paid in visibility and tearsheets; travel and food covered. Magazines rarely pay a rate |
| Campaign | €1,500–8,000 / day | The day rate is the smaller line — image rights (media × territory × duration) can be one to five times the day |
| Show | €300–3,000 | From a designer’s first show to a house; fittings often included; exclusives negotiated separately |
| Test | €0 | You pay nothing, you earn nothing, you get pictures. Never pay for a test |
Indicative ranges as of September 2026, for models with one to five years’ experience. New faces sit at the low end, established models above the range; your agency’s figure for your book prevails.
Rates by city.
Same job, different currency, different commission — and a very different net. Tokyo and Seoul work on season contracts through a local agency.
| City | Currency | E-commerce / day | Campaign / day | Commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | EUR | €400–900 | €2,000–8,000 | 20% |
| Milan | EUR | €350–800 | €1,500–6,000 | 20–25% |
| London | GBP | £350–800 | £2,000–7,000 | 20–25% |
| New York | USD | $500–1,200 | $3,000–15,000 | 20% |
| Los Angeles | USD | $400–1,000 | $2,500–10,000 | 20% |
| Tokyo | JPY | ¥50K–120K | ¥300K–1.5M | season contract |
| Copenhagen | DKK | DKK 4,000–8,000 | DKK 15,000–60,000 | 20% |
| Seoul | KRW | ₩400K–900K | ₩3M–15M | through a local agency |
Indicative ranges as of September 2026, before commission and tax. Campaign figures exclude image rights.
From gross to net.
The €1,100 fee is real. So is the €700-something that arrives. Both are right; only one is yours.
One agency job, Paris
The rights line is taxed differently from salary: a royalty, declared as such. Odette keeps the two lines apart on every job.
Two transfers, two dates, one bar.
The salary arrives with the agency’s monthly payroll after the client has paid — usually 60 to 90 days end of month. The rights line often comes later, on a separate statement. Odette puts both on the job’s 90-day bar and asks you, on the day, “did the €686 arrive?”.
See the payment bar →Try it with your fee.
The net pay calculator’s arithmetic, reduced to the three numbers that matter.
Your fee, what lands.
Estimates, France. On an agency job, employee contributions are about 22% of the fee after commission; on a direct job nothing is withheld, and 22% of the whole is the set-aside. Rights are paid as a royalty, not as salary. Nothing you type is stored.
When it arrives.
The client pays the agency at 30, 60 or 90 days end of month; the agency pays you at its next payroll. Direct, the client pays at your due date — if you remind them.
Green, 0–60. Normal. The client has 30 to 90 days end of month; nothing to do.
Amber, 60–90. A courteous reminder, then a precise one at 85.
Red, past 90. Late fees are due by law in France; a polite formal notice.
SourcePayment terms between businesses and late-payment penalties — service-public.gouv.fr, on article L. 441-10 of the Code de commerce (in French)
Frequently asked.
Are castings paid?
Almost never. A casting is an audition; a fitting sometimes is, as a half rate or a fixed amount — ask. If a “casting” lasts a full day and photos are taken, it is a test or a job and should be treated as one.
Are rates negotiable?
Through an agency, the agency negotiates — you can tell your booker your floor. Direct, yes: the rate, the usage and a 30% deposit are the three levers. A returning client at the same rate three times is the signal to ask for more.
Why is the net so low?
On an agency job in France, a €1,100 fee loses about 20% in commission, then employee contributions on the rest; you land around €700–750 as salary, plus the image rights paid separately. The rights line is often where the money is.
Are fittings paid?
It depends on the market and the client. In Paris a fitting before a show is often included in the show fee; a stand-alone fitting day for a campaign should be paid — half a day rate is common. Ask your booker before the day, not after.
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