Top Paying Industries for Fashion Designers
The motion picture and video industry outdistanced all other industries for the wages it pays fashion designers: $89,760 (mean annual wage). However, that industry employed only 150 fashion designers in 2008.
With a mean annual wage of $79,430, apparel accessories and other apparel manufacturing ranks second (the number of jobs was not made available.). The management company industry, which employed 1,360 fashion designers, is the third highest-paying industry, at $78,130. Specialized design services employed 1,270 fashion designers and paid a mean annual wage of $77,840. Employment services also paid a top wage--$76,690—but the industry employed only 640 fashion designers.
Companies that design and manufacture mass-market clothing should have the best job opportunities for fashion designers in the foreseeable future. Clothing that is both affordable and stylish will remain in high demand, creating job opportunities for fashion designers. While the manufacturing of clothing continues to be moved overseas, the designing of the clothing is expected to remain in house.
Whatever industry they work in, fashion designers work long, hard hours, often under the pressure of tight deadlines. In addition to being creative, fashion designers need to be excellent communicators in order to succeed in this highly competitive and demanding profession. And it’s not just about fashion and glamour: designers have to create clothing that produces a profit, so business and sales skills are a plus. A miniscule percentage of fashion designers rise to superstardom on the national or international level. For most fashion designers advancement is a slow and gradual process.
Industries with the Highest Employment Levels
While the movie industry pays the highest salaries for fashion designers, it doesn’t employ very many of these creative professionals. Apparel wholesalers and apparel manufacturers combined employ nearly one-half of fashion designers; the salaries the two industries offer are in the top five.
Here’s a closer look at the industries that have high employment levels and pay top salaries. Company management employs a good number of fashion designers and provides a mean annual wage of $78,130, the highest salary among industries with the highest employment levels. The design services industry also has a high level of employment for fashion designers; it pays $77,840. The employment services industry, which typically places employees in jobs, has a competitive mean annual wage of $76,690. Apparel manufacturers ($73,880) and apparel wholesalers ($71,970) also pay top salaries.
About one-third of fashion designers are self-employed. Since they do not work for an industry, or any employer for that matter, their earnings are not included in the above discussion. Self-employed fashion designers may earn less than employed designers, but they may earn much more. Self-employed designers have the important advantage of not having their creative expression limited by employer expectations. They may have their own brands or do contract work for high-end design houses. Don’t be surprised if you see their designs on movie stars on Oscar night!
