Fashion Designers
Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
What it pays
Fashion Designers earn a median of $38.92/hr — about $81,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $18.99/hr; the top 10% earn $70.61/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Fashion Designers earn a median of $38.92/hr — about $81,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $18.99/hr; the top 10% earn $70.61/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually 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.
- Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the day is spent working solo; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 20% of fashion designers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are creative, hands-on and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Commercial and Industrial Designers
- Editors
- Writers and Authors
- Public Relations Specialists
- Producers and Directors
- Technical Writers
Quick questions
- How much does a fashion designer make?
- The median pay is $38.92 per hour — roughly $81,000 a year, with the real range running from about $18.99/hr (10th percentile) to $70.61/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a fashion designer?
- The typical entry-level education is: Bachelor's degree. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a fashion designer actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.