Fashion Designer Careers: Employment & Salary Trends for Aspiring Fashion Designers

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Fashion Designer Careers at a Glance

Betsey Johnson, Ralph Lauren, and Dolce & Gabbana took different paths, but all ended up on the list of the world’s top fashion designers. Much like Betsey, Lauren, and D&G, most of the worlds most promising aspiring fashion designers all have one thing in common – talent. In many cases, however, talent alone isn’t enough to catapult an aspiring fashion designer into a Lauren-like career, but what it can do is help carry these creative individuals through one of 250 of the nation’s fashion design programs and prepare them for entry into one of the most competitive industries in the world.

Fashion designers design clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry. Fashion designers’ creations may be sold at exclusive boutiques, department stores, or retail stores. No matter where they end up working, fashion designers wear many different hats. They research fashion trends, oversee production of their creations, sketch, manufacture samples, select materials, attend fashion and trade shows, and perform marketing and various business tasks.

Employment Trends

Job Outlook: Little change
Annual Openings: 2,000
Percent Growth: 8.4%
Total Jobs Held: 17,000 (2007)
Projected Employment: 21,000 by 2016
The Best 500 Jobs Overall Ranking: 442

--Source: “Best Jobs for the 21st Century,” JIST Publishing 2009. Farr, Michael and Shatkin, Laurence, Ph.D.; “Salary Facts Handbook,” JIST Publishing 2008. Editors @ JIST.

View employment and salary data by State/City for Fashion Designers

While the fashion design industry will see little change as far as job growth over the next 7 years, salaries will remain steady in industries employing the largest numbers of fashion designers. These include: management of companies and enterprises, professional, scientific, and technical services, apparel manufacturing, merchant wholesalers nondurable goods), nonstore retailers, leather an allied product manufacturing, warehousing and storage, clothing and clothing accessories stores, performing arts (costume designers), and educational services.

26.5% of fashion designers are self-employed while the other 73.5% work for clothing retailers and in textile and apparel. 32% of fashion designers work part-time.

Salary Trends

Salaried fashion designers can expect a starting salary of around $30,000 a year, while the median salary for fashion designers is $62,610. On the high end, salaried fashion designers can expect to earn around $117,120 per year. The amount earned per year will depend on educational background, experience, and even geographic location. For example, fashion designers in Miami currently earn an average of $48,110, while New York fashion designers currently earn an average of $72,280 per year. Fashion designers with some high school will make 56.6% less than designers with a degree, while those with a master’s degree will earn 23.9% more than designers with a bachelor’s degree.

Degrees and Training Programs

Most employers look for a bachelor’s degree in fashion design at the very least, and knowledge of fashion trends, textiles, and fabrics. An associate’s degree is acceptable, but it will not command a higher starting salary or more attention than a bachelor’s or an advanced degree. Undergrads will receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts, while advanced degree holders will receive a Master of Fine Arts.

The nation’s 250 accredited postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design are quite competitive. To get in, aspiring fashion designers must provide a portfolio that demonstrates their artistic ability.

Coursework Required

Aspiring fashion designers in training will take a number of courses aimed at educating the student about the world and history of fashion design as well as sharpen the students overall design skills from conception to sewing the last stitch. Because the fashion design industry has seen an increase in computer-aided design (CAD), aspiring fashion designers have to be computer savvy and aware of trends in technology.

Students can expect to take the fashion drawing, world art and design, and history of fashion as well as classes such as global issues in design & visuality, themes in fashion history, and history, culture & society. Basic art courses may be required as well.


Michelle Burton is a published author and contributing editor for Trouve Media, Internet Brands, and Publications International, Ltd