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Fashion Modeling

What Fashion Modeling Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Fashion Modeling build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Fashion Modeling graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Fashion Modeling emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 1.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 2.5 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 2.4 / 5; level 1.9 / 7.
• Transportation — Importance 1.8 / 5; level 0.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 1.8 / 5; level 1.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Fashion Modeling program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 2.6 / 5; level 1.9 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 2.6 / 5; level 2.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Fashion Modeling careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.6 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
• Trunk Strength — Importance 2.8 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Fashion Modeling graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Performing General Physical Activities	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.2 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.0 / 7
Getting Information	2.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	2.7 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	2.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	2.5 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	2.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	2.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Fashion Modeling professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Apple iOS	Operating system software	—
Apple Safari	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Tumblr	Web page creation and editing software	—
Twitter	Instant messaging software	—
LinkedIn	Web page creation and editing software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Instagram	Instant messaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Fashion Modeling graduates include:

• Clothes Model
• Studio Model
• Life Drawing Model
• Art Class Model
• Agent Model
• Floor Model
• Nude Model
• Hat Model
• Professional Model
• Sales Model
• Photographer’s Model
• Hand Model
• Character Impersonator
• Artist’s Model
• Figure Model

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Fashion Modeling graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	75.3%
Less than a high school diploma	16.9%
Bachelor’s degree	4.3%
Some college courses	2.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.4%
Postsecondary certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Fashion Modeling Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Fashion Modeling graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,031
4 years	$44,812
5 years	$50,781

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $50,781 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Fashion Modeling Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Fashion Modeling graduates earn a median of $44,812 four years after completion — roughly 18% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations	52.19
Apparel and Accessories Marketing Operations	52.1904
Auctioneering	52.1901
Business and Personal/Financial Services Marketing Operations	52.1908
Fashion Merchandising	52.1902
Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations	52.1910
Reserved	52.1980
Special Products Marketing Operations	52.1909
Specialized Merchandising, Sales, and Marketing Operations, Other	52.1999
Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations	52.1905
Tourism Promotion Operations	52.1906
Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations	52.1907

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.