Fashion Designers
Also called: Accessories Designer, Apparel Accessories Specialist, Apparel and Accessories Designer, Apparel Designer, Apparel Product Developer, Apparel Technical Designer, Athletic Shoe Designer, Clothes Designer
Design clothing and accessories.
What fashion designers do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- 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.
- Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
- 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.
- Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs.
- Visit textile showrooms to keep up-to-date on the latest fabrics.
- Adapt other designers' ideas for the mass market.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Fashion Designers salary
The median annual wage for fashion designers is $80,960 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $39,490 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $146,870. The mean annual wage is $91,230.
The mean hourly wage of $43.00 is 5.9× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Fashion Designers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $80,960 → in 3 years $88,000 → in 5 years $93,100 → in 10 years $107,100 (10-year range $92,100–$124,300). The model assumes pay growth of +2.8% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Fashion Designers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Fashion Designers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Fashion Designers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Fashion Designers United States | ファッションデザイナー Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $80,960 | ¥5.40M ≈ $34,314 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $107,100 | ¥6.24M |
| Outlook score | 56 | 30 |
| AI replacement risk | 46% Moderate | 50% Moderate |
| Workers | 21K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Fashion Designers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become fashion designers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as fashion designers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.