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Best states for an apparel designer
Quoted expert
Barbara Anderson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to apparel designer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for apparel designers. We found that Oregon is the best state in the nation for apparel designers, and people in Carson City earn the most in the field.
In order to get you the best states for apparel designers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.Oregon is the best state, and Carson City is the city with the highest pay for apparel designers.
10 best states for apparel designers in 2025
1. Oregon
Total apparel designer jobs: 426 Average annual salary: $84,141 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.622. Washington
Total apparel designer jobs: 798 Average annual salary: $79,173 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.723. Utah
Total apparel designer jobs: 230 Average annual salary: $79,452 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.134. Rhode Island
Total apparel designer jobs: 79 Average annual salary: $74,206 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.025. California
Total apparel designer jobs: 2,979 Average annual salary: $74,770 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.66. Nevada
Total apparel designer jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $90,249 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 0.637. Connecticut
Total apparel designer jobs: 192 Average annual salary: $74,709 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000 Location Quotient: 0.918. District of Columbia
Total apparel designer jobs: 208 Average annual salary: $72,461 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.959. New Hampshire
Total apparel designer jobs: 105 Average annual salary: $70,583 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 0.9410. Idaho
Total apparel designer jobs: 63 Average annual salary: $78,905 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 0.6
Apparel designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an apparel designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an apparel designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $84,141 | $50,000 | 4,142,776 | 426 |
| 2 | Washington | $79,173 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 798 |
| 3 | Utah | $79,452 | $48,000 | 3,101,833 | 230 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $74,206 | $45,000 | 1,059,639 | 79 |
| 5 | California | $74,770 | $44,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,979 |
| 6 | Nevada | $90,249 | $54,000 | 2,998,039 | 84 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $74,709 | $45,000 | 3,588,184 | 192 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $72,461 | $44,000 | 693,972 | 208 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $70,583 | $43,000 | 1,342,795 | 105 |
| 10 | Idaho | $78,905 | $47,000 | 1,716,943 | 63 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $65,719 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 699 |
| 12 | New York | $64,695 | $39,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,246 |
| 13 | Delaware | $73,740 | $45,000 | 961,939 | 46 |
| 14 | Maine | $60,608 | $37,000 | 1,335,907 | 66 |
| 15 | Missouri | $61,705 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 287 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $62,400 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 93 |
| 17 | Vermont | $60,101 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 33 |
| 18 | Texas | $55,521 | $33,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,250 |
| 19 | Ohio | $55,614 | $35,000 | 11,658,609 | 499 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $59,265 | $36,000 | 2,984,100 | 66 |
| 21 | Alaska | $64,725 | $45,000 | 739,795 | 20 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $60,152 | $42,000 | 755,393 | 30 |
| 23 | Arizona | $56,780 | $34,000 | 7,016,270 | 279 |
| 24 | Colorado | $56,200 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 353 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $58,277 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 375 |
| 26 | Maryland | $57,260 | $35,000 | 6,052,177 | 367 |
| 27 | Montana | $57,990 | $36,000 | 1,050,493 | 38 |
| 28 | Michigan | $51,256 | $32,000 | 9,962,311 | 474 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $52,612 | $32,000 | 12,805,537 | 623 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $54,288 | $34,000 | 3,930,864 | 129 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $55,063 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 85 |
| 32 | Georgia | $50,633 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 755 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $49,899 | $32,000 | 5,795,483 | 331 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $53,832 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 45 |
| 35 | Virginia | $50,355 | $30,000 | 8,470,020 | 729 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $52,311 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 37 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $47,276 | $32,000 | 5,576,606 | 401 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $51,122 | $32,000 | 4,454,189 | 140 |
| 39 | Indiana | $50,128 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 293 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $51,985 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 18 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $49,739 | $30,000 | 5,024,369 | 200 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $46,858 | $28,000 | 10,273,419 | 558 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $50,780 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 115 |
| 44 | Florida | $46,711 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 751 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $46,926 | $29,000 | 6,715,984 | 236 |
| 46 | Illinois | $41,200 | $26,000 | 12,802,023 | 717 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $50,724 | $37,000 | 1,427,538 | 24 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $47,295 | $29,000 | 3,004,279 | 98 |
| 49 | Iowa | $40,092 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 175 |
| 50 | Alabama | $45,228 | $27,000 | 4,874,747 | 176 |
| 51 | Kansas | $40,429 | $26,000 | 2,913,123 | 138 |
Highest paying states for apparel designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Apparel Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $84,141 |
| 2 | Washington | $79,173 |
| 3 | Utah | $79,452 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $74,206 |
| 5 | California | $74,770 |
| 6 | Nevada | $90,249 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $74,709 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $72,461 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $70,583 |
| 10 | Idaho | $78,905 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $65,719 |
| 12 | New York | $64,695 |
| 13 | Delaware | $73,740 |
| 14 | Maine | $60,608 |
| 15 | Missouri | $61,705 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $62,400 |
| 17 | Vermont | $60,101 |
| 18 | Texas | $55,521 |
| 19 | Ohio | $55,614 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $59,265 |
| 21 | Alaska | $64,725 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $60,152 |
| 23 | Arizona | $56,780 |
| 24 | Colorado | $56,200 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $58,277 |
| 26 | Maryland | $57,260 |
| 27 | Montana | $57,990 |
| 28 | Michigan | $51,256 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $52,612 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | $54,288 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $55,063 |
| 32 | Georgia | $50,633 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $49,899 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $53,832 |
| 35 | Virginia | $50,355 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $52,311 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $47,276 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $51,122 |
| 39 | Indiana | $50,128 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $51,985 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $49,739 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $46,858 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $50,780 |
| 44 | Florida | $46,711 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $46,926 |
| 46 | Illinois | $41,200 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $50,724 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $47,295 |
| 49 | Iowa | $40,092 |
| 50 | Alabama | $45,228 |
| 51 | Kansas | $40,429 |
Expert opinions on the best states for apparel designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for apparel designers to find work opportunities?
Barbara Anderson
Professor and Head, Kansas State University
Our graduates gain employment across the United States with ease. I believe some use-type sectors will see a slight decline in demand, including hospitality and retail design. However, there will be plenty of professional opportunities to reimagine the post-pandemic use of existing facilities.
Apparel designer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025