As of April 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Model Maker III in the United States is $35, which translates to an annual salary of about $72,007.
However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
Smart Recruiting
AI Onboarding
A Model Maker III's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
Experience is a primary driver of a Model Maker III's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
| Job Role | Years of Experience | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Model Maker II | 1-3 years | $58,532 |
| Model Maker III | 3-5 years | $72,007 |
| Model Maker IV | 5-7 years | $84,909 |
What Am I Worth?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Model Maker IIIs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Demanded Skills for the Role:
| Skills | Demand Percentage |
|---|---|
| Problem Solving | 3.08% |
| Data Integration | 1.8% |
| Prototyping | 1.8% |
| Skill | Salary | Salary % Increase |
|---|---|---|
|
Financial Modeling
|
$84,968 |
18%
|
|
Employee Health and Safety
|
$83,528 |
16%
|
|
Taking Action
|
$83,528 |
16%
|
|
Microsoft Excel
|
$82,088 |
14%
|
|
Analysis
|
$79,928 |
11%
|
|
Insight
|
$78,488 |
9%
|
Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Model Maker IIIs enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Model Maker III with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $67,119 and $72,454).
Model Maker III Salaries by Degree Level
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 14.7% |
| High School | 14.7% |
| Associates | 20.6% |
| Bachelors | 61.8% |
| Masters | 2.9% |
| Doctorate | 0.0% |
Understanding how a Model Maker III's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Last Updated on April 01, 2026Salaries for a Model Maker III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $53,830 in 2023 to around $52,990 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Model Maker III salary trends, .
| Year | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
View More
|
| 2023 | $53,830 |
| 2024 | $54,049 |
| 2025 | $52,990 |
| 2026 |
View More
|
| 2027 |
View More
|
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation PlanningHere are companies hiring for Model Maker III and their salaries, click below for more details.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Model Maker III job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
Get a Salary Increase
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Search Job Openings
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Adjust Employee Salary
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Price My Industry Jobs
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Designs and builds scale models of industrial products, parts or components, and manufacturing equipment. Utilizes various machinery and materials to create prototypes that allow stakeholders to visualize, test, and refine designs before production. Analyses requirements, specifications, and engineering designs to determine the best materials and methods to fabricate models. Collaborates with stakeholders to incorporate revisions or modifications to the appearance and performance of prototypes. Creates and maintains documentation detailing the dimensions, materials, equipment, and processes used. Requires a high school diploma. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works independently within established procedures associated with the specific job function. Has gained proficiency in multiple competencies relevant to the job. Typically requires 3-5 years of related experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Problem Solving: Analyzing and identifying the root cause of problems and applying critical thinking skills to solve problems.
Data Integration: Data integration involves combining data residing in different sources and providing users with a unified view of them. This process becomes significant in a variety of situations, which include both commercial (such as when two similar companies need to merge their databases) and scientific (combining research results from different bioinformatics repositories, for example) domains. Data integration appears with increasing frequency as the volume (that is, big data) and the need to share existing data explodes. It has become the focus of extensive theoretical work, and numerous open problems remain unsolved. Data integration encourages collaboration between internal as well as external users.
Prototyping: Creating a sample product that may be tested to discover potential problems and avoid mistakes.
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.
Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:
