diff --git a/.changes/unreleased/Features-20230929-170945.yaml b/.changes/unreleased/Features-20230929-170945.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3497b2f5246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/unreleased/Features-20230929-170945.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Features
+body: Add meta attribute to SemanticModels
+time: 2023-09-29T17:09:45.0354-05:00
+custom:
+  Author: emmyoop
+  Issue: "8511"
diff --git a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/model_config.py b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/model_config.py
index b28091e68c1..f44fee5d50c 100644
--- a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/model_config.py
+++ b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/model_config.py
@@ -382,6 +382,10 @@ class SemanticModelConfig(BaseConfig):
         default=None,
         metadata=CompareBehavior.Exclude.meta(),
     )
+    meta: Dict[str, Any] = field(
+        default_factory=dict,
+        metadata=MergeBehavior.Update.meta(),
+    )
 
 
 @dataclass
diff --git a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py
index 065a60a6d33..57a6043e49d 100644
--- a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py
+++ b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/nodes.py
@@ -1583,6 +1583,7 @@ class SemanticModel(GraphNode):
     refs: List[RefArgs] = field(default_factory=list)
     created_at: float = field(default_factory=lambda: time.time())
     config: SemanticModelConfig = field(default_factory=SemanticModelConfig)
+    meta: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
     unrendered_config: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
     primary_entity: Optional[str] = None
     group: Optional[str] = None
diff --git a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/unparsed.py b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/unparsed.py
index d06b13faa03..df8149982f5 100644
--- a/core/dbt/contracts/graph/unparsed.py
+++ b/core/dbt/contracts/graph/unparsed.py
@@ -712,6 +712,7 @@ class UnparsedSemanticModel(dbtClassMixin):
     name: str
     model: str  # looks like "ref(...)"
     config: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
+    meta: Dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
     description: Optional[str] = None
     label: Optional[str] = None
     defaults: Optional[Defaults] = None
diff --git a/core/dbt/parser/schema_yaml_readers.py b/core/dbt/parser/schema_yaml_readers.py
index dddad84c6db..2e357bbbe8e 100644
--- a/core/dbt/parser/schema_yaml_readers.py
+++ b/core/dbt/parser/schema_yaml_readers.py
@@ -549,6 +549,7 @@ def _generate_semantic_model_config(
             base=False,
             patch_config_dict=precedence_configs,
         )
+
         return config
 
     def parse_semantic_model(self, unparsed: UnparsedSemanticModel):
@@ -595,8 +596,14 @@ def parse_semantic_model(self, unparsed: UnparsedSemanticModel):
             config=config,
             unrendered_config=unrendered_config,
             group=config.group,
+            meta=unparsed.meta,
         )
 
+        # If we have meta in the config, copy to node level, for backwards
+        # compatibility with earlier node-only config.
+        if "meta" in config and config["meta"]:
+            parsed.meta = config["meta"]
+
         ctx = generate_parse_semantic_models(
             parsed,
             self.root_project,
diff --git a/schemas/dbt/manifest/v11.json b/schemas/dbt/manifest/v11.json
index 431641576eb..18047ef5135 100644
--- a/schemas/dbt/manifest/v11.json
+++ b/schemas/dbt/manifest/v11.json
@@ -5497,6 +5497,12 @@
             }
           ],
           "default": null
+        },
+        "meta": {
+          "type": "object",
+          "propertyNames": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
         }
       },
       "additionalProperties": true
@@ -5635,6 +5641,12 @@
         "config": {
           "$ref": "#/$defs/SemanticModelConfig"
         },
+        "meta": {
+          "type": "object",
+          "propertyNames": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
         "unrendered_config": {
           "type": "object",
           "propertyNames": {
diff --git a/tests/functional/semantic_models/fixtures.py b/tests/functional/semantic_models/fixtures.py
index 3fb65a3a4fb..be5d88a7809 100644
--- a/tests/functional/semantic_models/fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/functional/semantic_models/fixtures.py
@@ -134,6 +134,9 @@
     config:
       enabled: true
       group: some_group
+      meta:
+        my_meta: 'testing'
+        my_other_meta: 'testing more'
     dimensions:
       - name: favorite_color
         type: categorical
@@ -185,6 +188,7 @@
       agg_time_dimension: created_at
 """
 
+
 schema_yml = """models:
   - name: fct_revenue
     description: This is the model fct_revenue. It should be able to use doc blocks
diff --git a/tests/functional/semantic_models/test_semantic_model_configs.py b/tests/functional/semantic_models/test_semantic_model_configs.py
index 38009cddbe0..5938b1040c3 100644
--- a/tests/functional/semantic_models/test_semantic_model_configs.py
+++ b/tests/functional/semantic_models/test_semantic_model_configs.py
@@ -204,3 +204,26 @@ def test_project_plus_yaml_level(self, project):
         ).config
 
         assert isinstance(config_test_table, SemanticModelConfig)
+
+
+# test setting meta attributes in semantic model config
+class TestMetaConfig:
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
+    def models(self):
+        return {
+            "people.sql": models_people_sql,
+            "metricflow_time_spine.sql": metricflow_time_spine_sql,
+            "semantic_models.yml": enabled_semantic_model_people_yml,
+            "people_metrics.yml": models_people_metrics_yml,
+            "groups.yml": groups_yml,
+        }
+
+    def test_meta_config(self, project):
+        run_dbt(["parse"])
+        manifest = get_manifest(project.project_root)
+        sm_id = "semantic_model.test.semantic_people"
+        assert sm_id in manifest.semantic_models
+        sm_node = manifest.semantic_models[sm_id]
+        meta_expected = {"my_meta": "testing", "my_other_meta": "testing more"}
+        assert sm_node.meta == meta_expected
+        assert sm_node.config.meta == meta_expected