OBJECTIVES: Socioeconomic status (SES) is a multidimensional theoretical construct that covers a variety of social and financial circumstances. The selection of indicators and their ranking for individual's classification are of the challenging issues in socioeconomic studies. Also integrating different indicators in determining SES is usually complex and multidimensional. The aim of this study was to develop a model for measuring SES independent of time and place of study.  METHODS: In order to identify proper indicators for determining the SES of individuals, a widespread search was conducted on Pubmed, Embase and Google Scholar. The relevant indicators were selected based on literature review and concept-focused group. Also, experts’ opinions considered for scoring these indicators. These indicators were weighted by Stepwise Adoption of Weights and were used to develop a model for measuring SES. RESULTS: Five indicators were selected for determining SES of individuals. These indicators include income, occupation, education, home status and family size. A model for income classification based on city poverty line (CPL) was established.  The experts' opinions were integrated in order to reach a degree of consensus on the given scores to different occupation groups. A model for home status ranking based on national minimum wage (NMW) was introduced. A single model was developed to score homeowners and tenants at the same time.  CONCLUSIONS: Four important findings emerged from this study. These include:

1. The average weight and the percentage of the impact of each socioeconomic indicator on the socioeconomic status of individuals are suggested.
2. A model based on CPL is introduced for income classification.
3. A model based on NMW is developed for rent ranking.
4. A single model is accomplished for comparing homeowners and tenants.

These findings may help researchers to apply a single model for determining SES, by which the results of various studies could be compared more directly; particularly in middle-income countries.