Model Builder Salary

$21.5K

$63K

$140K

$65,246

/year

$31.37

/hour

Model Builder Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$65,246

Columbus

Ohio

$63,021

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    How much does a Model Builder make?

    As of Aug 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Model Builder in the United States is $65,246 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $31.37 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,254/week or $5,437/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $140,000 and as low as $21,500, the majority of Model Builder salaries currently range between $39,500 (25th percentile) to $81,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $101,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Model Builder varies greatly (by as much as 42000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Model Builder in your area makes on average $63,021 per year, or $2,225 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $65,246. Ohio ranks number 38 out of 50 states nationwide for Model Builder salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Model Builder jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Model Builder on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Model Builder Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Model Builder job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Cupertino, CA, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $14,643 (22.4%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $21,098 (32.3%) above the $65,246 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Model Builder appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 10% between Pennington County, SD, and Whitehorse, YT, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Model Builder role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Pennington County, SD

    $86,344

    $41.51

    Cupertino, CA

    $80,497

    $38.70

    Berkeley, CA

    $79,889

    $38.41

    Redwood City, CA

    $79,884

    $38.41

    Burleigh County, ND

    $79,488

    $38.22

    Sitka, AK

    $78,600

    $37.79

    Kentville, NS

    $77,857

    $37.43

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $77,623

    $37.32

    Spearfish, SD

    $77,541

    $37.28

    Whitehorse, YT

    $77,362

    $37.19

    What are Top 4 Best Paying Related Model Builder Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Model Builder job category, we found that Portfolio Valuation Analyst jobs have average salaries greater than Model Builder jobs.

    Significantly, Portfolio Valuation Analyst jobs pay $27,989 (42.9%) more than the average Model Builder salary of $65,246. If you're qualified, finding work as a Portfolio Valuation Analyst may help you make more money than that of the average Model Builder position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Portfolio Valuation Analyst

    $93,235

    $44.82

    Private Equity Fundraising

    $64,137

    $30.84

    Collateral Management

    $59,693

    $28.70

    Swimmer

    $35,774

    $17.20

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Model Builder salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $65,246 per year or $31.37 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.