We surveyed 618 costume designers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical costume designer. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a costume designer?

Low

High

Working as a costume designer typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.

Can I learn to become a costume designer?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a costume designer typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a costume designer?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically quite difficult to find a job as a costume designer.

Info

Do costume designers work full-time or part-time?

37% of costume designers work in full-time roles while 63% work part-time.

Is being a costume designer stressful?

Low

High

Costume designers tend not to find their jobs stressful, which likely contributes positively to career satisfaction.

Is being organized important as a costume designer?

Low

High

Organization is not considered a particuarly important part of being a costume designer.

How competitive is the workplace for costume designers?

Low

High

Costume designers see mild competition in their workplace.

Does being a costume designer require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Time pressure tends not to be a major contributor of stress for costume designers.

Are costume designers allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Creativity is intrinsic to being a costume designer, and a highly valuable part of the career.

Do costume designers have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

Costume designers tend to have a set and inflexible work schedule that they are unable to deviate from too much.

Is being a costume designer physically demanding?

Low

High

Being a costume designer may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.

Are costume designers exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

While sometimes repetitive, costume designers tend to have opportunities for variety in their work.

Does being a costume designer require attention to detail?

Low

High

Attention to detail isn't necessarily required to be successful as a costume designer.

Does being a good costume designer require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

The ability to be compassion and empathetic isn't considered fundamental to success as a costume designer.