Occupations · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Fashion Designers
Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 27-1022.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 53% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $96,620 | 6,350 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $100,170 | 570 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $78,560 | 510 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $59,750 | 290 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $75,000 | 200 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $81,770 | 190 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $61,510 | 160 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $58,490 | 140 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $76,100 | 140 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $43,760 | 130 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $85,680 | 120 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $100,230 | 90 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Determine prices for styles.
- 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.
- Develop a group of products or accessories, and market them through venues such as boutiques or mail-order catalogs.
- Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
- Draw patterns for articles designed, cut patterns, and cut material according to patterns, using measuring instruments and scissors.
- Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.
- Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 13
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| fashion designer | 2163.1.3 | exact |
| leather goods CAD patternmaker | 7532.5 | close |
| digital prototyper | 7532.4 | close |
| clothing product grader | 7532.3 | close |
| clothing fashion designer | 2163.1.3.1 | broader |
| textile designer | 2163.1.8 | broader |
| footwear designer | 2163.1.3.2 | broader |
| clothing CAD technician | 3118.2 | broader |
| leather goods designer | 2163.1.3.3 | broader |
| costume designer | 2163.1.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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