Is modeling a good career?

No, modeling is not a good career due to low pay (for most jobs) and high stress.

• Very few get rich. Unless you fall into the "supermodel" category, which most models don't, you can't expect to earn a living wage. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the median hourly wage for models was $13.63 in 2019.

  The accuracy of this is in question as models are not employees, but rather freelance workers, and the reporting of their income isn't always exact. The top 10% in the industry earned above $25 per hour, but that doesn't include the top 2% of supermodels.

  In addition to not earning a lot of money, the expenses a model must support include photographs, travel - as many agencies bill the model for traveling to the locations of the shoot - test shots, and even rent when the model shares a "model apartment" with others and pays a portion of the rent.

• Agencies and model management companies. A modeling agency is restricted by state law from charging a client more than 20 percent commission, as outlined in CNN Money Investigates: Runway Injustice.

  This holds true for modeling agencies; however, a talent agency for film and television can only charge 10 percent. Agencies get around this by becoming modeling management companies. Models have tried to form a union, but many were concerned that they'd get no work if they were a part of the union.

  If a model is considered a high earner, she or he can negotiate the commission structure. A management company can charge whatever they and the client agree to. And since there is no legal guideline or law, management companies can get away with passing enormous expenses onto the model.

  One model was charged for the flowers she received for her birthday and another for courier fees, transportation fees, and thousands in vague administrative fees, reports CNN Money.

• High-stress job. There are so many factors that contribute to modeling being a high-stress job, including:

  • Sexual harassment

  • Body shaming

  • Body dysmorphia

  • Unethical business practices