Fashion Designers Career, Salary and Skills
Fashion Designers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $80,960 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 21,450. Wage data is published for 48 locations.
Occupation description
Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
O*NET code
27-1022.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$80,960
Hourly median
$38.92
Employment
21,450
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$39,490
10th
$51,940
25th
$80,960
Median
$106,470
75th
$146,870
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Coordination | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Time Management | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Active Learning | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Persuasion | 3.62 | 3.62 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
Technology
- SAS
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Autodesk AutoCAD Design Suite
- Autodesk Revit
- Autodesk SketchBook Pro
- C-DESIGN Fashion
- CLO Virtual Fashion Marvelous Designer
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- Corel Painter
Fashion Designers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Fashion Designers Salary in NYMedian $98,640 · Employment 5,760
- Fashion Designers Salary in New York, NYMedian $99,560 · Employment 5,540
- Fashion Designers Salary in TXMedian $40,040 · Employment 1,850
- Fashion Designers Salary in FLMedian $43,020 · Employment 1,100
- Fashion Designers Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $63,210 · Employment 590
- Fashion Designers Salary in MAMedian $103,520 · Employment 540
- Fashion Designers Salary in Boston, MAMedian $106,630 · Employment 480
- Fashion Designers Salary in NCMedian $74,990 · Employment 460
- Fashion Designers Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $102,370 · Employment 450
- Fashion Designers Salary in MNMedian $42,110 · Employment 420
- Fashion Designers Salary in COMedian $94,140 · Employment 360
- Fashion Designers Salary in San Diego, CAMedian $82,010 · Employment 320
Related careers
- Makeup Artists, Theatrical and PerformanceNational median $97,150
- Sewing Machine OperatorsNational median $36,670
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating WorkersNational median $41,600
- Patternmakers, Metal and PlasticNational median $58,000
- Retail SalespersonsNational median $35,410
- Floral DesignersNational median $37,360
- Shoe and Leather Workers and RepairersNational median $37,800
- Set and Exhibit DesignersNational median $75,240
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.