Here’s how much you can earn per day as a professional hand model

A woman earns up to $3k per day working as a professional hand model working with high end brands like Dior and Chanel.

Avisha Tewani, 35, began working in the industry in 2020 after originally working as a freelance stylist, which she still does alongside running her own business and modeling.

After helping a family member on a shoot for wedding and engagement rings, she submitted the photos to an agent and was working “within the first week or two” of being signed.

Since then, she has worked with household names like Starbucks, Coca Cola, Absolut Vodka and Kylie Cosmetics.

To ensure her hands stay in perfect condition, Tewani has had to stop cycling in her hometown of New York City to avoid any accidents, and wears gloves when doing the dishes to keep her manicure intact.

Earning anywhere from $300 to $3,000 per day on set, she has branched out in other body part modeling including her legs, feet, ears and neck.

Tewani, a professional hand model, from New York City, New York, USA, said: “A family member wanted me to help on a shoot – his company he makes wedding rings and engagement bands.

“That family member mentioned, ‘I know someone who does this for a living, you have long fingers and long nails you should submit these photos to an agent.

“I just did a quick google search put in ‘hand model New York City’ and reached out to the first agent and she basically had me working within first week or two of working with her.

“There’s a couple of life changes I’ve had to do.

“I had to give away my membership for my city bike as I previously got into accidents and I fractured my elbow and wrist.

“I couldn’t take that chance anymore.

“I used to love boxing as a workout but I stopped doing that as I don’t want to damage anything in my hands.

“If I’m doing any sort of workout I wear lifting gloves to help with not showing any callouses.

“I used to never wear gloves doing the dishes but now I do more often.

“Generally I’m not walking around with gloves on all day everyday – I know people that do that”.

Since she was signed to her agent in August 2020 Tewani’s work has “snowballed”, and she now works with multiple agents who work with specific body parts like her legs, ears and her neck.

She says a lot of people just assume shoots involve “holding things” but insists it can often be “challenging”.

Working anywhere from two to 12 hours on set depending on what the client requires, Tewani says crew can often be anywhere from five people to a 35-strong company.

With jobs being booked as late as 7am on the day of the shoot, Tewani says “it is really tough”.

She says: “The client doesn’t know exactly what they’re looking for either.

“They are relying on you to show your creativity and make the product look appealing, show the branding and make sure your hand looks nice.

“To give an example sometimes a brand may only have one or two samples of product open like a lipstick you have to twist it, try it on, do something with it.

“But there’s only two samples so you have to make sure you get it right.

“I had a lot of excitement for the one I did with Chanel.

“It was a two day job for a Valentines Day.

“The manicure was really nice and they changed it out two or three times.

“I got to hold a dove for the shot”.

Before a shoot day, Tewani will spend the day prepping her hands with a manicure to the clients’ taste and being “really careful” when going about her day so as not to damage her hands.

“I can be paid anywhere between $300 to $400 hundred a day to $2,500 to $3,000 – it depends on the client and what they’re looking for.

“Actors and the modelling industry have union rates as well.

“If it’s a commercial or something with larger company or a more global thing they give you a usage fee included.

“So I could have a day rate on the lower side and a usage fee – the check can be $3,000.

“Being a middle skin tone person right now is a very good thing for the industry.

“A lot of things are changing and a lot of clients looking for the ambiguous look or the middle skin tone.

“I’m getting more work which I’m very grateful for”.

Things Tewani has done to keep her nails in perfect condition:

– Has a manicure before each photoshoot

– Wears gloves whilst doing dishes

– Wears gloves whilst working out to avoid callouses

– Has given up boxing as a form of exercise to avoid damage to her hands

– Has given up cycling due to the risk of accidents and further damage to her hands