Fashion Designers pay in the U.S.
$91,230avg. a year
$43.86 an hour · 21,450 employed
Fashion Designers in the U.S. earn an average of $91,230 a year and a median of $80,960. Pay is highest in Massachusetts ($113,650) and lowest in Minnesota ($45,670).
$80,960Median pay
$43.86Average hourly
+5%Avg. pay since 2020
21,450Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for fashion designers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1540 jobs
Massachusetts
$113,650
$54.64 an hour
25,760 jobs
New York
$111,740
$53.72 an hour
3160 jobs
New Jersey
$103,480
$49.75 an hour
440 jobs
New Hampshire
$102,050
$49.06 an hour
5120 jobs
Georgia
$95,070
$45.71 an hour
650 jobs
Connecticut
$94,620
$45.49 an hour
7360 jobs
Colorado
$94,270
$45.32 an hour
8
Washington
$90,130
$43.33 an hour
9460 jobs
North Carolina
$87,590
$42.11 an hour
10100 jobs
Virginia
$87,480
$42.06 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Fashion Designers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $56k$56k–$75k$75k–$95k$95k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $118,650 | $57.05 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $113,040 | $54.35 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $106,270 | $51.09 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $100,590 | $48.36 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $95,370 | $45.85 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $93,470 | $44.94 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $92,290 | $44.37 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $86,920 | $41.79 |
Related jobs
- Graphic Designers$70,560
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers$42,830
- Interior Designers$74,540
- Art Directors$129,440
- Floral Designers$39,520
- Commercial and Industrial Designers$93,260
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Fashion Designers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $48,700 | $45,720 | – |
| Colorado | $94,270 | $94,140 | 360 |
| Connecticut | $94,620 | $81,510 | 50 |
| Florida | $53,350 | $43,020 | 1,100 |
| Georgia | $95,070 | $78,340 | 120 |
| Hawaii | $52,820 | $47,990 | – |
| Indiana | $56,210 | $40,740 | 120 |
| Kansas | $71,770 | $59,150 | 40 |
| Maine | $59,620 | $49,530 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $113,650 | $103,520 | 540 |
| Michigan | $74,660 | $63,430 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $45,670 | $42,110 | 420 |
| New Hampshire | $102,050 | $100,160 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $103,480 | $101,610 | 160 |
| New York | $111,740 | $98,640 | 5,760 |
| North Carolina | $87,590 | $74,990 | 460 |
| Ohio | $73,870 | $82,050 | 90 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,880 | $63,840 | 320 |
| Texas | $54,600 | $40,040 | 1,850 |
| Vermont | $75,210 | $79,610 | 60 |
| Virginia | $87,480 | $94,120 | 100 |
| Washington | $90,130 | $82,030 | – |
| Wisconsin | $59,030 | $57,030 | 120 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$113,040
5,540 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$69,680
590 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$118,650
480 jobsSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$106,270
450 jobsSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$92,290
320 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$93,470
250 jobsRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$100,590
180 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$86,920
170 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do fashion designers make?
The average is $91,230 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $80,960 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $43.86, and the median is $38.92 an hour.
Which state pays fashion designers the most?
Massachusetts, with an average of $113,650 a year. The best-paying metro area is Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH at $118,650.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $39,490 a year, and the top 10% earn over $146,870.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 27-1022. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.