Many costume designers work in film or television.
Costume designers are responsible for designing and creating various kinds of clothing worn in theatrical productions, television shows and motion pictures. These workers use their understanding of textiles and fashion design to create the appropriate attire needed for the production. The Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes costume designers as fashion designers in general, and specific salaries for these workers may be slightly higher or lower than those reported here.
National Averages
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were about 15,780 fashion designers employed in 2009, earning an average wage of about $35.78 an hour or about $74,410 per year. Those in the top 10th percentile of earners made about $62.93 an hour or $130,900 per year, while those in the lowest 10th percentile made $15.54 an hour or $32,320 per year. The middle 50 percent of fashion designers made about $30.90 an hour or $64,260 per year.
Most Common Sectors
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the "apparel, piece goods and notions merchant wholesalers" sector of the industry employed the most fashion designers in 2009. The estimated 6,830 workers in this sector made an average of about $35.17 an hour or about $73,150 per year. The next most-common sector, "cut and sew apparel manufacturing," employed about 2,700 designers who earned an average of about $37.66 an hour or about $78,320 a year.
Highest Paying Sectors
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that designers in the "motion picture and video industries" had the highest average salaries out of all sectors in 2009, earning an average wage of about $44.64 per hour or about $92,850 a year. Designers working in the "wholesale electronic markers and agents and brokers" made an average of about $44.57 an hour or about $92,700 per year.
Geographic Differences
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the five states in which fashion designers had the highest average salaries in 2009 were: New Hampshire, Maine, California, Connecticut and New York. Workers in the highest-paying state, New Hampshire, earned an average of about $41.08 an hour or about $85,460 per year. Those in the fifth-highest paying state, New York, made an average of $38.37 per hour or about $79,800 per year.
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