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Costume Designer salary
Average costume designer salary
$54,229
How much does a costume designer make?
The average costume designer salary in the United States is $54,229. Costume designer salaries typically range between $34,000 and $84,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for costume designers is $26.07 per hour.
Costume designer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Costume designers earn the highest average salary in Rhode Island.
Where can a Costume Designer earn more?
Costume Designer salary estimates from across the web
Average costume designer salary by state
Highest paying states for costume designers
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $71,281 | $34.27 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $69,591 | $33.46 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $70,686 | $33.98 |
| 4 | Washington | $63,562 | $30.56 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $64,662 | $31.09 |
| 6 | Delaware | $66,570 | $32.00 |
| 7 | Vermont | $60,702 | $29.18 |
| 8 | New York | $58,651 | $28.20 |
| 9 | Alaska | $70,554 | $33.92 |
| 10 | California | $60,863 | $29.26 |
| 11 | Utah | $55,890 | $26.87 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $57,860 | $27.82 |
| 13 | Oregon | $56,949 | $27.38 |
| 14 | Nevada | $65,776 | $31.62 |
| 15 | Idaho | $58,602 | $28.17 |
| 16 | Maine | $62,230 | $29.92 |
| 17 | Missouri | $53,543 | $25.74 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $57,834 | $27.80 |
| 19 | North Dakota | $54,174 | $26.05 |
| 20 | Colorado | $53,185 | $25.57 |
| 21 | Texas | $47,780 | $22.97 |
| 22 | Ohio | $49,000 | $23.56 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $47,840 | $23.00 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $53,457 | $25.70 |
| 25 | Michigan | $45,523 | $21.89 |
| 26 | Maryland | $51,155 | $24.59 |
| 27 | Georgia | $44,972 | $21.62 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $51,993 | $25.00 |
| 29 | Virginia | $44,814 | $21.55 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $44,295 | $21.30 |
| 31 | Montana | $47,022 | $22.61 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $47,533 | $22.85 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $46,105 | $22.17 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $45,446 | $21.85 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $45,979 | $22.11 |
| 36 | Indiana | $44,111 | $21.21 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $44,267 | $21.28 |
| 38 | Arizona | $44,000 | $21.15 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $42,561 | $20.46 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $43,751 | $21.03 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $41,928 | $20.16 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $41,548 | $19.98 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $44,642 | $21.46 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $44,516 | $21.40 |
| 45 | Illinois | $36,243 | $17.42 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $41,517 | $19.96 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $41,069 | $19.74 |
| 48 | Florida | $41,570 | $19.99 |
| 49 | Iowa | $35,323 | $16.98 |
| 50 | Kansas | $34,349 | $16.51 |
| 51 | Alabama | $39,947 | $19.21 |
Highest paying cities for costume designers
The highest-paying cities for costume designers are Camarillo, CA, New York, NY, and Kansas City, MO.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camarillo, CA | $59,297 | $28.51 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $58,676 | $28.21 |
| 3 | Kansas City, MO | $53,421 | $25.68 |
| 4 | Frostburg, MD | $50,377 | $24.22 |
| 5 | Lynchburg, VA | $43,848 | $21.08 |
| 6 | Cottage Grove, MN | $42,630 | $20.50 |
| 7 | Coral Gables, FL | $41,018 | $19.72 |
| 8 | Deerfield, IL | $36,408 | $17.50 |
Costume Designer salary details
A costume designer's salary ranges from $34,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $84,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a costume designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 75th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| Average | $54,229 | $4,519 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
Highest paying costume designer jobs
The highest paying types of costume designers are fashion director, senior designer, and fashion design internship.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion Stylist | $45,524 | $3,794 | $21.89 | 13,031 |
| Fashion Internship | $49,534 | $4,128 | $23.81 | 49,151 |
| Fashion Designer | $54,265 | $4,522 | $26.09 | 49,476 |
| Apparel Designer | $65,467 | $5,456 | $31.47 | 46,436 |
| Designer | $66,347 | $5,529 | $31.90 | 52,433 |
Top companies hiring costume designers now:
Which companies pay costume designers the most?
Costume designer salaries at Poly Prep Country Day School and Vanderbilt University Medical Center are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average costume designer salary at companies like Frostburg State University and Actors' Playhouse are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poly Prep Country Day School | $70,640 | $33.96 |
| 2 | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $63,786 | $30.67 |
| 3 | Frostburg State University | $55,879 | $26.86 |
| 4 | Actors' Playhouse | $54,499 | $26.20 |
| 5 | Kansas City Kansas Community College | $52,442 | $25.21 |
| 6 | Liberty University | $41,263 | $19.84 |
| 7 | Deerfield Park District | $41,091 | $19.76 |
| 8 | South Washington County Schools | $40,630 | $19.53 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Costume Designer salary by industry
The average costume designer salary varies across industries:
- The average costume designer salary in the professional industry is $61,415, the highest of any industry.
- The average costume designer salary in the finance industry is $54,887.
- Costume designers in the media industry earn an average salary of $48,026, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for costume designers
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $61,415 | $29.53 |
| 2 | Education | $54,887 | $26.39 |
| 3 | Health Care | $53,827 | $25.88 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $52,007 | $25.00 |
| 5 | Real Estate | $48,742 | $23.43 |
| 6 | Media | $48,026 | $23.09 |
High Paying Costume Designer Jobs
Costume Designer salary trends
The average costume designer salary has risen by $7,955 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average costume designer earned $46,274 annually, but today, they earn $54,229 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for costume designers over the last decade.
Compare costume designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average costume designer salary over time
Compare costume designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
Costume Designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $54,200 | $26.07 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $52,800 | $25.38 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $52,000 | $25.01 | +7.3% |
| 2022 | $48,200 | $23.19 | +3.3% |
| 2021 | $46,600 | $22.41 | +2.3% |
Recently added costume designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of The District of Columbia | Costume Design Observership | Broadway, VA | 12/14/2024 | $36,000 |
| University of The District of Columbia | Costume Design Observership | Tallulah, LA | 12/11/2024 | $36,000 |
| Forest Grove School District 15 | Co-Drama Costume Designer | Forest Grove, OR | 12/10/2024 | $95,219 |
| Playbill, Inc. | Paid Costume Designer-Annie/Chicago/Newsies Young Actors Theatre Tallahassee, FL US/2024 | Tallahassee, FL | 12/09/2024 | $24,000 |
| Edmates | Costume Designer | Bono, AR | 10/23/2024 | $50,000 |
| North Adams Public Schools | Drury Stage Costume Designer | North Adams, MA | 10/22/2024 | $36,523 |
| University of The District of Columbia | Costume Design Observership | Broadway, VA | 10/21/2024 | $36,000 |
| Playbill, Inc. | Paid Set and Costume Designer for Youth Musical Productions Brooklyn Acting Lab Brooklyn, NY US 09/ | New York, NY | 10/21/2024 | $52,175 |
| Playbill, Inc. | Paid Costume Designer Position for Yda's Production of Intimate Apparel Yale Dramatic Association NE | New Haven, CT | 10/15/2024 | $33,600 |
| University of The District of Columbia | Costume Design Observership | Guthrie, OK | 09/28/2024 | $36,000 |
Costume Designer salary FAQs
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