Miss America vs. Miss USA

Both Miss America and Miss USA emphasize good looks and figures. Both also promote themselves as a forum for young women to better themselves, earn scholarships, make lasting friendships, become leaders, give back to their communities, and beyond through charitable partnerships. Both pageants now feature contenders from all 50 states plus a representative from the District of Columbia.

Neither is to be confused with Miss World America, Miss U.S. International, or Miss Earth United States.

Both national pageants require entrants to participate and win local and state competitions before they move on to the national stage. For Miss America, the national show is the end of the line and the winner then travels around the country for her “year of service” according to the pageant’s official site. But if you take the top spot at Miss USA, you are sent to represent America at that year’s Miss Universe pageant where you take on the top contenders from around the world.

The older pageant also places more emphasis on tangible skills. The talent portion of a contestant’s performance is crucial when it comes to voting on a victor at Miss America, it makes up 35 percent of their overall score, versus Miss USA, which does not take talent into consideration when crowning their beauty queen.

The winner of the Miss America pageant collects a $50,000 scholarship. The Miss America Organization’s Public Relations Coordinator Chelsea Mineur told Bustle in 2017 that no one goes home empty-handed. Every contestant receives a scholarship, ranging from $3,000 for last place finishers to $25,000 for the first runner-up. Miss America will travel around the country, which is covered by the company, making appearances, doing speaking engagements, performing charity work, and serving as the National Ambassador for the Children’s Miracle Network.

The woman who is crowned as Miss USA will instantly move into a luxury apartment in New York City. The winner will live there rent free for her entire reign as Miss USA. In addition to a new living situation, Miss USA 2018 received a year-long salary. All of her living expenses will be covered for her whole reign. She will be making promotional appearances around the country and the internationally, which is both a duty and a perk of the acquiring the title. The winner also gets to be styled by the official Miss Universe Organization fashion stylist. She also gets her annual wardrobe covered. The average salary for miss USA jobs is $63,132.

Aside from everything that comes with being Miss USA, the winner will have an opportunity to move on to the next level of competition: the Miss Universe pageant. If Miss USA ends up winning the Miss Universe title, there will be even more personal perks and opportunities to give back to the community, but on a global scale.