Art Director
Median wage · national
$114,850
Range: $82K – $163K
Employed
53K
Openings/yr
12K
Typically: bachelor's degree
HUMANITIES
Fashion Designer
Fashion Designer earn $80,960 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $51,940 and $106,470. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.
About Fashion Designer
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a fashion designer: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Design and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
- Median Wage
- $80,960
- Employed Nationally
- 21K
- Openings / Year
- 2,500
- Entry Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Job Zone
- Zone 3: Medium Preparation
Also known as:
Accessories Designer
Apparel Accessories Specialist
Apparel and Accessories Designer
Apparel Designer
Apparel Technical Designer
How Much Do Fashion Designers Make?
Most fashion designers take home around $80,960 a year, above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $51,940 and $106,470, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. A solid living in most parts of the country. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$80,960
National Median (Annual)
Above the national median for college graduates.
$52K–$106K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$51,940
Entry-level
$80,960
Median
$106,470
Experienced
The mean wage for this occupation is $91,230, above the median. A concentration of very high earners pulls the average up. The median is the better gauge of typical pay.
What Do Fashion Designers Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- 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.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Judgment and Decision Making
Time Management
Who Thrives Here
A
Artistic
Creative and original thinking matters in this field, where fresh approaches, design sensibility, or expressive work drives real outcomes.
R
Realistic
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
E
Enterprising
Leadership, influence, and business acumen are rewarded here, where managing teams, driving decisions, or persuading others shapes career outcomes.
Where Do Fashion Designers Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
Moderate
Moderate pressure. Regular deadlines exist but are generally manageable with experience.
What Is the Job Outlook for Fashion Designers?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +0.1%, meaning it is growing slowly, a little behind the average job. Around 2,500 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +0.1%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
Slower than average.
2,500
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
21K
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Fashion Designer professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $80,960 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 6,470 | — | — |
| 2 | New York | 5,760 | $98,640 | +21.8% |
| 3 | Texas | 1,850 | $40,040 | -50.5% |
| 4 | Florida | 1,100 | $43,020 | -46.9% |
| 5 | Oregon | 860 | — | — |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a bachelor's degree. The 3 programs below are the most common routes in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
The next most common path is a Drama & Theatre program and the colleges offering it, which suits a different kind of applicant.
Typical Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Zone
Zone 3: Medium Preparation
A medium amount of preparation is required, often an associate degree, certificate program, or apprenticeship, plus some related experience.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Design | 36,019 | $51,490 | 1,238 |
| 2 | Drama & Theatre | 16,853 | $39,775 | 1,116 |
| 3 | Apparel & Textiles | 2,961 | $57,640 | 135 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Fashion Designers
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 93 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA | 93 | $12,470 | $84,943 |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | 93 | $13,481 | $92,446 |
| 4 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 5 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | 92 | $14,251 | $80,735 |
| 6 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | 92 | $13,807 | $124,080 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Fashion Designer, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Fashion Designer pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Fashion Designer Pros & Cons
The data on Fashion Designer shows 2 measurable strengths and 3 real trade-offs. All points are drawn from BLS wage data, employment projections, and IPEDS program completions.
PROS
- Above-average pay At $80,960 median annually, this career pays meaningfully more than most college-graduate roles. Financial return on education is typically strong.
- High earning ceiling Top earners (75th percentile) reach $106,470 annually. Strong performers, specialists, and those in high-cost markets have significant upside beyond the median.
CONS
- Slow job growth At +0.1% projected growth, this career lags the national average. Limited expansion means stiffer competition for openings that do appear.
- High earnings variance The gap between the 25th ($51,940) and 75th ($106,470) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, location, and specialization.
- Entry-level pay well below the national median The 25th percentile wage of $51,940 is considerably below the $80,960 median. Early-career workers typically spend 5 or more years building toward typical pay. Factor this into any program ROI calculation.
Fashion Designer Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Fashion Designer professionals earn?
Around $80,960 a year for the typical worker, above the national median for full-time workers. The middle 50% of earners fall between $51,940 and $106,470. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Fashion Designer a good career?
For people genuinely interested in the work, yes. At $80,960 median, though slow job growth means most openings come from workers leaving the field rather than new positions being created. Compare program net price against local salary outcomes (not just the national median) before committing.
How do I become a Fashion Designer?
Most Fashion Designer positions require a bachelor's degree as the minimum credential. a medium amount of preparation is required, often an associate degree, certificate program, or apprenticeship, plus some related experience. Programs like Design are common starting points.
What is the job outlook for Fashion Designer?
Employment is projected to change by +0.1% through 2035, slower than average compared with other occupations. Around 2,500 roles open each year once you count people retiring and moving on, which matters more to someone starting out than the growth rate does. 21K people do this job nationwide today, so it is an established field rather than a niche one. Source: BLS May 2025.
Why do Fashion Designer salaries vary so widely?
The $54,530 gap between the 25th ($51,940) and 75th ($106,470) percentile reflects how much employer type, industry, specialization, and geography affect pay. Entry-level roles and lower-demand markets cluster near the bottom; senior, specialized, or high-cost-metro positions push the top. In fields with this much spread, where you work and what you specialize in often matters more than years of experience.
What skills do Fashion Designer professionals need?
Mainly Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, and Time Management. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
Related Findings
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10 Six-Figure Careers That Do Not Need a Bachelor's Degree
Air traffic controllers earn more than the typical bachelor's-degree career, with an associate degree. The occupations that pay six figures without four years of college.
- No bachelor degree
- High paying careers
- Associate degree
- Trades
- Median wage
-
Does a Master's Degree Pay Off? Barely, on Average
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
- Master's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Median wage
- Graduate school
- Career outcomes
-
Growing and Paying $80K Plus: The Careers That Do Both
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
- Career growth
- Median wage
- High-paying careers
- Job outlook
- Career change
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