The World's Top-Earning Male Models Of 2013

 
Sean O'Pry (Top Largest paid Male Models)

To borrow a phrase from Ben Stiller’s male model in the comedy Zoolander, being “professionally good looking” is a career that is neither easy nor lucrative for men. The 10 top-earning male models earned a combined total of $8 million from September 2012 to September 2013, a measly amount compared to the $83 million their female counterparts raked in over the past year.

 

Coming in at No. 1 on our list is Sean O’Pry, a 24-year-old from Kennesaw, Ga., who we estimate earned $1.5 million during the 12-month period. Discovered on MySpace at 17 by Nolé Marin, a notable fashion stylist who has been a judge on America’s Next Next Top Model, and Lana Winters, his current manager, the blue-eyed O’Pry has landed major ad campaigns with the likes of Giorgio Armani, Versace, H&M H&M, Hugo Boss Hugo Boss and Salvatore Ferragamo. The lion’s share of his earnings come from the multiple fragrance contracts he’s picked up this year from Jil Sander’s “Ultrasense” and Viktor & Rolf’s “Spicebomb.”

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A million and a half dollars isn’t chump change, but it’s a far cry from the $42 million Gisele Bündchen, the world’s top-earning female model, pulled in over the past year. So it goes for men in one of the few industries that women dominate — both in Q Score awareness ratings and in earnings. Female models, with and average salary of $41,300, earn 148% more than male models, according to PayScale.com.

 

To compile our list, we estimated earnings from licensing ventures, runway shows, commercial catalogs, spokesperson gigs and contracts from fragrance and fashion companies.

David Gandy, a favorite face of Dolce & Gabbana, comes in at No. 2 with $1.4 million in earnings from September 2012 to September 2013. In the business since 2001, the 33-year-old U.K. native has also held contracts with Hugo Boss, Banana Republic and Massimo Dutti.

The industry veteran is one of the few men to reach supermodel status with work beyond the runway and catalogs. In addition to his role as brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker Blue and Whey Hey ice cream, a company in which he owns a stake, Gandy hawks his own training app and writes about fashion for British Vogue and GQ.

 

At No. 6 is Ryan Burns, with an estimated $610,000 in modeling work. The bulk of his total comes from his fragrance contract with Zegna, a brand that he’s held contracts with for multiple seasons. At 35, Burns’ resume isn’t as diverse, but because of his exclusive deal with Zegna he’s earned more than many other models with a broader portfolio but more sporadic work.

For men, attaining supermodel status is rare and challenging; they don’t have the opportunities to gain wide-scale exposure that Victoria’s Secret or a major cosmetics campaign offer female models. And the rates they command are far lower.

 

It’s conventional wisdom in the fashion world that men in ads provide a lower return on investment.

But there is one area where male models have an edge over their female counterparts. Says O’Pry: “The best part about being a male model is not having to wear high heels.”