How much does a Fashion Designer make?
A Fashion Designer earns a median annual salary of $80,960 in the United States, which works out to roughly $38.92 per hour for full-time work. Most Fashion Designers earn between $39,490 at the entry level and $146,870 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $51,940 and $106,470 a year.
That is $19,570 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Fashion Designer salary range by percentile
Half of all Fashion Designers earn between $51,940 and $106,470 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $39,490 | $18.99 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $51,940 | $24.97 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $80,960 | $38.92 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $106,470 | $51.19 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $146,870 | $70.61 |
Highest-paying states for Fashion Designer
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Massachusetts leads the country for Fashion Designer pay at $103,520 a year, followed by New Jersey ($101,610) and New Hampshire ($100,160). At the other end, Texas posts the lowest median at $40,040 — a gap of $63,480 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $103,520 | $49.77 | +28% |
| 2 | New Jersey | $101,610 | $48.85 | +26% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $100,160 | $48.15 | +24% |
| 4 | New York | $98,640 | $47.42 | +22% |
| 5 | Colorado | $94,140 | $45.26 | +16% |
Fashion Designer salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 23 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 21,000 people work as Fashion Designers in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $91,230 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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Related salaries
Other arts & media roles with similar pay.