The average salary for a fashion designer in the United States is around $80,960 per year.
Avg Salary
Fashion designers earn an average yearly salary of $80,960.
Wages typically start from $39,490 and go up to $146,870.
33% above national average Updated in 2025
Fashion designer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level fashion designer earnings begin at:
$70.61 per hour
$146,870 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level fashion designer earnings begin at:
$51.19 per hour
$106,470 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level fashion designer earnings begin at:
$38.92 per hour
$80,960 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level fashion designer earnings begin at:
$24.97 per hour
$51,940 per year
10th percentile
Starting level fashion designer earnings begin at:
$18.99 per hour
$39,490 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Fashion designer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $98,640 |
| Colorado | $94,140 |
| Virginia | $94,120 |
| Ohio | $82,050 |
| Washington | $82,030 |
| Connecticut | $81,510 |
| Oregon | $80,750 |
| Vermont | $79,610 |
| California | $78,800 |
| Georgia | $78,340 |
| Utah | $77,070 |
| North Carolina | $74,990 |
| Alabama | $73,730 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,840 |
| Michigan | $63,430 |
| Illinois | $62,340 |
| Arkansas | $59,490 |
| Kansas | $59,150 |
| New Mexico | $58,870 |
| Wisconsin | $57,030 |
| Kentucky | $53,530 |
| Maryland | $52,290 |
| Idaho | $51,790 |
| Rhode Island | $49,610 |
| Maine | $49,530 |
| Hawaii | $47,990 |
| South Carolina | $45,830 |
| Arizona | $45,720 |
| Florida | $43,020 |
| Minnesota | $42,110 |
| Indiana | $40,740 |
| Texas | $40,040 |
| Missouri | $33,320 |
| Massachusetts | $103,520 |
| New Jersey | $101,610 |
| New Hampshire | $100,160 |
How do fashion designer salaries compare to similar careers?
Fashion designers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than filmmakers but more than models.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Filmmaker salary | $90K |
| Film director salary | $90K |
| Multimedia animator salary | $102K |
| Makeup artist salary | $97K |
| Industrial designer salary | $84K |
| Fashion designer salary | $81K |
| Film and video editor salary | $75K |
| Camera operator salary | $75K |
| Exhibit designer salary | $75K |
| Model salary | $48K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)