Hiring a model in Oakland, CA

Employers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area pay models a median of $48,570, with the middle half of the market between $35,960 and $74,940. Oakland residents working in sales and related occupations report a median of $47,665, which is 2% below what the metro pays for this role.

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What does a model earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$35,960
Median	$48,570
75th percentile	$74,940

Half of models in this area earn between $35,960 and $74,940. A band set below $35,960 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Oakland residents earn

$47,665

Median earnings of Oakland residents working in sales and related occupations, 18,792 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 2% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The two sit close together, so pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Pose for artists and photographers.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 41-9012.

Tools and technologies in demand

Apple iOS, Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Apple Safari, Instagram.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Oakland?

This is a job zone two: some preparation needed occupation. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 47.9% of Oakland adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Oakland commute runs 30.5 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 23.4% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Alameda County, retail trade employs 66,518 and turns over 9.7% a quarter, with 6,913 hires against 8,925 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $4,788 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 44-45.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about models. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $9,714 to $14,571 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.