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Fashion Designers in Pennsylvania

Fashion Designers in Pennsylvania

Considering working as a Fashion Designers in Pennsylvania? Here’s what you need to know. Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

What do Fashion Designers Make in Pennsylvania?

For fashion designers working in Pennsylvania, the typical annual salary is $78,950 per year (or about $37.96/hour).Earnings range from $46,570 at the 10th percentile to $127,240 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $46,570 $22.39
25th percentile $60,700 $29.18
Median (50th) $78,950 $37.96
75th percentile $96,460 $46.37
90th percentile $127,240 $61.17
Salary ranges for Fashion Designers in Pennsylvania

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Pennsylvania compared to the national average — is 0.46, suggesting fewer fashion designers per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, fashion designers earn a median of $53,057 per year ($25.51/hour), exceeding the Pennsylvania median.

Fashion Designers earnings in Pennsylvania vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

National employment for 267,361 fashion designers nationwide. In Pennsylvania alone, around 380 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 200 fashion designers.

Fashion Designers in Pennsylvania vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Fashion Designers

Top Pennsylvania Metros for Fashion Designers

These are the Pennsylvania metros with the most fashion designers in Pennsylvania.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 200 $75,000
Pittsburgh, PA 80 $78,950

Top States for Fashion Designers Employment

View the states that employ the most fashion designers work.

State Number Employed
New York 6,600
California 5,610
Texas 1,800
Oregon 1,140
Florida 840
Massachusetts 610
Washington 590
Minnesota 470
Pennsylvania 380
Utah 330
North Carolina 330
Missouri 260
Ohio 210
New Jersey 200
South Carolina 190
Colorado 180
Arkansas 170
Arizona 110
Virginia 90
Georgia 70

Highest-Paying States for Fashion Designers

These states pay the most for fashion designers.

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

Skills

The most important fashion designers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Critical Thinking  3.9 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.9 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.9 / 5
0
5
Judgment and Decision Making  3.8 / 5
0
5
Time Management  3.8 / 5
0
5
Active Learning  3.8 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Design  4.4 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  3.4 / 5
0
5
Production and Processing  3.2 / 5
0
5
Sales and Marketing  3.2 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.1 / 5
0
5
Fine Arts  2.7 / 5
0
5

Abilities

Top abilities for fashion designers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Originality  4.2 / 5
0
5
Oral Expression  3.9 / 5
0
5
Fluency of Ideas  3.9 / 5
0
5
Written Comprehension  3.9 / 5
0
5
Visual Color Discrimination  3.8 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  3.8 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

  • 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.
  • Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.
  • Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs.
  • Visit textile showrooms to keep up-to-date on the latest fabrics.
  • Adapt other designers' ideas for the mass market.

Work Activities

  • Thinking Creatively
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Getting Information
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Working with Computers
  • Scheduling Work and Activities
  • Coaching and Developing Others
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software In-demand technologies: Adobe Creative Cloud software

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

  • Design & Applied Arts
  • Drama & Theater Arts
  • Textile & Apparel Studies

Related occupations to fashion designers include:

Also Known As

Accessories Designer, Apparel Accessories Specialist, Apparel Designer, Apparel Product Developer, Apparel Technical Designer, Apparel and Accessories Designer, Athletic Shoe Designer, Clothes Designer, Clothing Designer, Costume Designer, Costumer, Custom Furrier, Dance Costume Designer, Denim Designer, Design Manager.

References

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