Fashion Designers: Career Overview
Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
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What Tasks Do Fashion Designers Take On?
The core tasks performed by fashion designers cover:
- Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
- Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
- Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
- Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
- Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
- Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
- Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
- Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective fashion designers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Fashion Designers Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Accessories Designer
- Apparel Accessories Specialist
- Apparel Designer
- Apparel Product Developer
- Apparel Technical Designer
- Apparel and Accessories Designer
- Athletic Shoe Designer
- Clothes Designer
Employment and Demand
There are about 267,361 fashion designers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -2.9% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Fashion Designers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $53,057 |
| Hourly median | $25.51 |
| 10th percentile | $29,705 |
| 25th percentile | $41,381 |
| 75th percentile | $64,733 |
| 90th percentile | $76,409 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Fashion Designers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | $142,500 |
| Oregon | $125,310 |
| Massachusetts | $99,340 |
| New York | $96,420 |
| New Hampshire | $88,230 |
| Virginia | $85,870 |
| Colorado | $85,680 |
| New Jersey | $84,020 |
| Missouri | $81,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,950 |
| Washington | $77,990 |
| Connecticut | $77,020 |
| North Carolina | $74,830 |
| Georgia | $73,070 |
| Ohio | $58,790 |
| Utah | $58,490 |
| Kansas | $54,400 |
| Indiana | $52,430 |
| Kentucky | $48,000 |
| Florida | $43,920 |
| Arizona | $43,200 |
| Minnesota | $40,040 |
| Wisconsin | $37,790 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for fashion designers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $96,985 | 3.4% | 1.11 |
| Middle Atlantic | $95,150 | 34.9% | 4.72 |
| Rocky Mountains | $68,086 | 2.5% | 1.08 |
| Plains States | $54,847 | 3.8% | 0.95 |
| Great Lakes | $46,824 | 1.7% | 0.21 |
| Southeast | $46,383 | 8.7% | 0.57 |
| Far Western US | $25,731 | 35.6% | 2.51 |
| Southwest | $2,487 | 9.3% | 0.92 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $100,230 | 90 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $100,170 | 570 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $96,620 | 6,350 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $95,730 | 50 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $85,680 | 120 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | MO | $81,770 | 190 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $79,750 | 40 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | PA | $78,950 | 80 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of fashion designers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale Trade | 5,930 | $81,030 |
| Retail Trade | 4,540 | $40,040 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4,490 | $100,670 |
| Manufacturing | 2,360 | $76,080 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,410 | n/a |
| Information | 1,130 | $93,990 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 620 | $54,350 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 200 | $85,550 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of fashion designers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Time Pressure
- Spend Time Sitting
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How to Become Fashion Designers
Entry-level fashion designers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Art Directors (Supplemental)
- Craft Artists (Primary-Short)
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (Supplemental)
- Commercial and Industrial Designers (Primary-Short)
- Floral Designers (Supplemental)
- Graphic Designers (Primary-Short)
- Interior Designers (Primary-Long)
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future fashion designers often complete programs in:
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
3 programs across 1 majors
Visual and Performing Arts
2 programs across 2 majors
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-1022.00 (Fashion Designers).
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