Average Fashion Designers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Fashion Designers is $80,690 per year. The middle 50% earn between $53,730 and $107,990, with 20,910 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 28 states and 32 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Fashion Designers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $35,970
- 25th
- $53,730
- Median
- $80,690
- 75th
- $107,990
- 90th
- $169,620
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what fashion designers earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for fashion designers from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +2.0%
- 500 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,300
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for fashion designers.
Where Fashion Designers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where fashion designers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Tennessee at $142,500, about 76.6% above the national median. At the metro level, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA leads with a median of $100,230.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $142,500 | 40 |
| Oregon | $125,310 | 1,140 |
| Massachusetts | $99,340 | 610 |
| New York | $96,420 | 6,600 |
| New Hampshire | $88,230 | 50 |
| Virginia | $85,870 | 90 |
| Colorado | $85,680 | 180 |
| New Jersey | $84,020 | 200 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $100,230 | 90 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $100,170 | 570 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $96,620 | 6,350 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $95,730 | 50 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $85,680 | 120 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $81,770 | 190 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $79,750 | 40 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $78,950 | 80 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see fashion designers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Fashion Designers rose from $73,790 to $80,690, a gain of +9.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $73,790 would need to be worth $90,540 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $80,690 is −$9,850 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -10.9% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 9.4% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +9.4%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -10.9%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Fashion Designers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $73,790
- 2020
- $75,810
- 2021
- $77,450
- 2022
- $76,700
- 2023
- $79,290
- 2024
- $80,690
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Set And Exhibit Designers
- $66,280
- Designers, All Other
- $66,220
- Interior Designers
- $63,490
- Graphic Designers
- $61,300
Common salary questions for Fashion Designers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Fashion Designers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.