Who Is the Highest‑Paid Female Model in 2025? Latest Ranking, Earnings & How It’s Calculated

You want the name, not the noise. As of 2025, the industry consensus puts Kendall Jenner at No. 1. The why matters too: beauty contracts, global campaigns, and smart brand deals now dwarf runway checks. I’ll give you the fast answer first, then a clean breakdown so you can judge any new headline you see this year.

Key takeaways and the direct answer

highest paid female model in 2025: Kendall Jenner, based on the most recent 2024-early 2025 earnings tallies reported by major business and fashion trades (think Forbes-style estimates, Business of Fashion, WWD, and brand filings where available). Figures are estimates and vary by methodology.

• Direct answer: Kendall Jenner holds the top spot, with estimated annual model-related earnings in the ballpark of $40-50 million for the most recently measured year.
• Why numbers differ: Some lists count only modeling income (beauty, fashion, fragrance, campaigns), while others include business ventures, equity stakes, and licensing. Different method, different number.
• Close contenders: Gisele Bündchen (select high-value campaigns and legacy deals), Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid (editorial + campaigns + ambassadorships), Hailey Bieber (notably strong beauty tie-ins; some tallies also factor her Rhode business).
• Update cycle: Rankings usually lag by a year. 2025 headlines often reflect 2024 income. Always check the coverage period on any list you read.
• Biggest driver now: Beauty and long-term brand contracts pay more and more consistently than runway appearances. Social reach helps secure those deals.

If you just needed the single name, you’ve got it: Kendall Jenner. If you want to know how that gets calculated (and how to tell solid lists from guesswork), keep going.

The 2025 breakdown: earnings math, who’s on top, and why it shifts

Let’s align on what “highest paid” actually means. In fashion media, this is usually pretax income attributed to modeling work over a defined period (often the prior calendar year). The cleanest tallies look at contracts in beauty and fashion (think L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Chanel, Versace, Calvin Klein), fragrance deals, global campaigns, ambassadorships, runway fees, licensing, and sometimes equity or profit share tied directly to the model’s name and image.

Why you should care about the definition: two articles can rank the same person differently just by what they count. One list may exclude a founder’s profit from a beauty brand (because that’s entrepreneurship), while another may include it if the brand’s marketing is essentially the model’s face. Same person, different math.

Here’s how reputable rankings are usually built:

1. Set the time window (e.g., Jan-Dec 2024).
2. Collect known contracts and campaigns from brand announcements, press releases, trade coverage (WWD, Business of Fashion), and SEC-style filings where applicable.
3. Estimate contract values using industry benchmarks for global beauty deals vs. fashion campaigns vs. fragrance launches. Cross-check with agents/industry sources when possible.
4. Exclude one-off influencer posts unless they’re part of a formal ambassadorship or campaign.
5. Note if the tally is “modeling only” or “modeling + business ventures.”

What changed lately? Beauty rules the payout board. A single global cosmetics contract can eclipse a year of runway. Social data isn’t the paycheck-but it’s the leverage that lands the paycheck. That’s why names with massive followings dominate the top tier.

Below is a pragmatic snapshot that reflects how the trade press and industry trackers describe the top earners right now. It’s a synthesis of recent market chatter, public brand deals, and the historical patterns those outlets use. Treat the figures as directional ranges, not audited numbers.

A few credibility notes:

• Forbes historically published top-earning model lists and still issues earnings estimates across entertainment and celebrity niches. When trades reference “Forbes-style” tallies, they’re talking about a similar method: pretax estimates, minus management fees, using interviews and public info.
• Business of Fashion and WWD regularly report on contract announcements and the growing weight of beauty deals in model income. Those reports help triangulate who’s really cashing the biggest checks.
• Brand-owner disclosures (from beauty conglomerates and fashion groups) sometimes hint at the scale of ambassador programs, even if they don’t name exact fees. Analysts then model the likely range.

So why does Kendall sit at the top? Consistency and category mix. She pairs splashy luxury campaigns with durable beauty contracts-beauty is where the reliable, multi-year money lives. Add massive platform reach, and she commands top-of-market rates and renewals.

And no, runway isn’t where the big money is made. It’s a visibility and prestige play that leads to what really pays: fragrance launches, global ambassador roles, and long-term licensing deals.

To put that in perspective, here’s a quick comparison of typical earning profiles. These are ballpark ranges, not hard rules, and top-tier stars can earn more.

Pro tips to read any “highest paid” headline like a pro:

• Check the date and period covered. A 2025 article may be quoting 2024 earnings.
• See if it’s “modeling-only” or “modeling + business.” That one line can move a model several spots.
• Scan for beauty contracts mentioned. One global beauty deal can outweigh three fashion campaigns.
• Look for repeated renewals. Renewals at higher rates are a quiet sign someone’s truly on top.

Big picture trend: The top five are increasingly dominated by women with long-term beauty ties and global ambassadorships. The traditional “walk everything, shoot everything” model isn’t the earnings leader anymore. Precision, not volume, wins.

FAQs, quick checks, and what to watch next

Here’s a compact toolkit to answer the follow-ups you’re probably thinking about-and to help you sanity-check new lists as they roll out.

Rapid checklist (use this anytime a new ranking drops):

• Coverage window: Which year’s income is it (and is it calendar or fiscal)?
• Scope: Modeling-only or also counting businesses the model owns?
• Source quality: Are they citing brand announcements, filings, or reputable trades?
• Beauty factor: Which beauty/fragrance contracts are named? That’s the money center.
• Regional influence: Are APAC or LATAM deals included? Those budgets are huge now.

FAQ

Who is the highest-paid female model right now? Kendall Jenner. That’s the current consensus based on 2024-early 2025 estimates across respected business and fashion outlets that track top earners.

Why do some lists put someone else at No. 1? Methodology. If an outlet includes a model’s company profits (say, from a beauty brand she founded), she can jump ahead. Purist lists that count “modeling-only” income usually settle back on the same few names-led by Kendall-because of the scale of their beauty contracts.

Is runway pay really that small? It’s not small for top names, but it’s not the main driver. Runway is leverage. It raises a model’s profile, which lands the long-term contracts that pay far more.

Who has earned the most money historically? For a long stretch, Gisele Bündchen dominated yearly rankings with very large totals-years of top-tier beauty and fashion deals, plus smart licensing and business moves. Historically, she’s the benchmark for long-run earnings power in modeling.

Do follower counts decide pay? Not directly, but they help. A big, engaged audience makes a model more valuable to brands, especially for global launches. That translates into richer contracts and renewals.

Why do earnings bounce year to year? Contract timing. A new beauty deal landing in Q4 can shift someone up the list, while a quiet renewal year can slide them down. Campaign cycles and fragrance launches also cause swings.

Are male and female model markets comparable? Not really. Beauty and fragrance-huge drivers of pay-are much larger for women. That skews the top-earning lists toward female talent with big beauty ties.

How do reputable sources build these lists? They interview agents and executives, review brand announcements, check public filings when available, and apply benchmarks from prior deals. Think of it as investigative accounting with guardrails, not forensic auditing.

What should I watch through late 2025? Beauty portfolio shifts (who becomes the face of a top skincare or fragrance line), renewals at bigger rates, and any new ambassadorships in APAC. If Kendall renews or adds another global beauty anchor, it’s hard to see anyone passing her this cycle.

Quick scenarios

• Casual fan: You just wanted the name-Kendall Jenner-and a sense of who’s close behind. Screenshot the top five and you’re set.
• Fashion student: Use the comparison table above to memorize what actually pays. Build your case studies around beauty contracts.
• PR/brand marketer: When evaluating a face for a campaign, focus on conversion contexts (beauty, fragrance, global ambassadorships) and renewal history, not just raw reach.

Bottom line you can bank on today: Kendall Jenner is No. 1. If a headline tips someone else to the top, read the fine print-there’s almost always a methodology twist hiding underneath.