Career profile · SOC 27-1022

Fashion Designers

Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends. May sketch designs, select fabrics and patterns, and give instructions on how to make products.

Median salary
$80,690
per year
Growth outlook
Average
BLS 10-yr
Education
Bachelor's degree
AI exposure
5.3/10
automation risk

Salary distribution (US)

Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.

Bottom 10%
$39,850
25th %ile
$55,180
Median
$80,690
75th %ile
$106,280
Top 10%
$130,900

Top skills

Active Listening Critical Thinking Speaking Time Management Coordination Complex Problem Solving Judgment and Decision Making Negotiation Active Learning Social Perceptiveness

Knowledge you'll build

  • Design
  • Fine Arts
  • Production and Processing
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Sales and Marketing
  • English Language
  • Administration and Management
  • Communications and Media

A day in the life

You start the day at your design studio sketching next season's collection, pulling inspiration from street style photos, vintage textiles, and trend-forecasting reports. By mid-morning you are draping muslin on a dress form, pinning seams, and collaborating with pattern makers to translate your sketch into a wearable garment. Afternoons involve meetings with fabric suppliers, reviewing production samples, and making last-minute color adjustments before a runway show or buyer presentation. The pace intensifies as fashion week approaches, but seeing a model stride down the catwalk in something you created from scratch makes the long hours worth it.

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