Fashion Designers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for fashion designerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Massachusetts$113,650
- New York$111,740
- New Jersey$103,480
- New Hampshire$102,050
- Georgia$95,070
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $113,650 | $103,520 | $55 | +24.6% | 540 |
| 2 | New York | $111,740 | $98,640 | $54 | +22.5% | 5,760 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $103,480 | $101,610 | $50 | +13.4% | 160 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $102,050 | $100,160 | $49 | +11.9% | 40 |
| 5 | Georgia | $95,070 | $78,340 | $46 | +4.2% | 120 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $94,620 | $81,510 | $45 | +3.7% | 50 |
| 7 | Colorado | $94,270 | $94,140 | $45 | +3.3% | 360 |
| 8 | Washington | $90,130 | $82,030 | $43 | -1.2% | — |
| 9 | North Carolina | $87,590 | $74,990 | $42 | -4% | 460 |
| 10 | Virginia | $87,480 | $94,120 | $42 | -4.1% | 100 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $77,880 | $63,840 | $37 | -14.6% | 320 |
| 12 | Vermont | $75,210 | $79,610 | $36 | -17.6% | 60 |
| 13 | Michigan | $74,660 | $63,430 | $36 | -18.2% | 40 |
| 14 | Ohio | $73,870 | $82,050 | $36 | -19% | 90 |
| 15 | Kansas | $71,770 | $59,150 | $35 | -21.3% | 40 |
| 16 | Maine | $59,620 | $49,530 | $29 | -34.6% | 30 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $59,030 | $57,030 | $28 | -35.3% | 120 |
| 18 | Indiana | $56,210 | $40,740 | $27 | -38.4% | 120 |
| 19 | Texas | $54,600 | $40,040 | $26 | -40.2% | 1,850 |
| 20 | Florida | $53,350 | $43,020 | $26 | -41.5% | 1,100 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $52,820 | $47,990 | $25 | -42.1% | — |
| 22 | Arizona | $48,700 | $45,720 | $23 | -46.6% | — |
| 23 | Minnesota | $45,670 | $42,110 | $22 | -49.9% | 420 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 31 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $108,220 | $112,270 | 70 |
| 2 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $106,630 | $118,650 | 480 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,370 | $106,270 | 450 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $99,560 | $113,040 | 5,540 |
| 5 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $99,420 | $93,470 | 250 |
| 6 | Boulder, CO | $98,680 | $100,980 | 60 |
| 7 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $96,760 | $100,590 | 180 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $85,220 | $91,860 | — |
| 9 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $82,130 | $95,370 | 110 |
| 10 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $82,040 | $79,070 | 30 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing fashion designerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $105,350 | $113,240 | 3,890 |
| 2 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $105,350 | $113,240 | 3,890 |
| 3 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $105,350 | $113,240 | 3,890 |
| 4 | Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $99,310 | $112,730 | 1,110 |
| 5 | Motion Picture and Video Industries | $99,310 | $112,730 | 1,110 |
| 6 | Sector 51 - Information | $99,310 | $112,510 | 1,110 |
| 7 | General Merchandise Retailers | $98,620 | $103,850 | — |
| 8 | Personal and Laundry Services | $93,930 | $93,480 | — |
| 9 | Sector 81 - Other Services (except Public Administration) | $93,930 | $90,320 | — |
| 10 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $93,350 | $94,850 | — |
| 11 | Administrative and Support Services | $91,890 | $104,220 | 70 |
| 12 | Employment Services | $91,890 | $104,220 | 70 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do fashion designers make in the U.S.?
The median fashion designers salary in the United States is $80,960 per year (mean $91,230), and about 80% earn between $39,490 and $146,870.
How much do fashion designers make per hour?
Roughly $44 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $91,230 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays fashion designers the most?
Massachusetts has the highest average pay for fashion designers at $113,650 per year (median $103,520).
What is the job outlook for fashion designers?
Employment is projected to change +2% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 2,300 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.