Answering a Reader Question #643

Anonymous Wrote:

 When you're a male, or female, model; what is the payment situation? Is the money just the money you get from your work and they get a percentage? Or do they give you an actual salary? Also ive heard that the agency bills you for everything like flights and hotels etc. Is that true? And what is the highest percentage you believe an agency can ask before they're ripping you off?

Hey, Anonymous!

Models (male and female) get paid per job/assignment they book and do not earn a salary. If you book work, you make money and vice-versa.

Agencies take a percentage out of each paying job they get for their models, which is known as "commission" in the industry. They only make money when the models do. Many agencies state this directly on their websites.

As for the situation you described with the agency billing models, there is much more to the subject and depends on a number of factors. When a model has to travel for a booked assignment, in most cases the agency arranges to have the client who is hiring the model cover those costs. The overall amount for flights and hotel accommodations could be calculated and added to the total payment promised to the model or as a separate payment in the form of reimbursement.

If the agency has to cover these costs for whatever reason, they will usually consider it a short-term loan. They don't technically "bill" the model...they will instead take their investment on those expenses back in the form of the agency commission, so it isn't like the model has to write the agency a check per se. As long as they book work, the agency will be able to get their money back over time.

But if a model terminates the contract with their agency or otherwise stops working with them before that amount has been paid off/taken out in commission, then they are obligated by law, according to the contract they signed, to repay any balances owed to the agency. That means coming out of pocket.

However, it is important to note that agencies typically do not cover expenses incurred when a model attends a go-see or casting call (unless arranged beforehand). Models are responsible for getting themselves to and from castings/go-sees and must pay for travel related costs (i.e. gas, rental car, parking, toll, etc.)

The commission percentage agencies take out for each modeling job changes over time. The current average rate is between 20%-25% for agencies within the United States. Almost all modeling agencies in the US use this range. In smaller to medium markets, however, the commission could be as low as 10%-15%.

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