Apparel designer demographics and statistics in the US
On this page
Apparel designer demographics by:
Apparel designer gender statistics
67.2% of apparel designers are women and 32.8% of apparel designers are men.
- Female, 67.2%
- Male, 32.8%
Apparel designer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 67.2% |
| Male | 32.8% |
Apparel designer gender pay gap
Women earn 88¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$77,153
Female income
$68,118
Apparel designer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in apparel designer positions over time. Currently, 67.2% of apparel designers are female.
Apparel designer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.28% | 24.72% |
| 2011 | 75.47% | 24.53% |
| 2012 | 74.86% | 25.14% |
| 2013 | 76.68% | 23.32% |
| 2014 | 75.06% | 24.94% |
| 2015 | 75.62% | 24.38% |
| 2016 | 74.79% | 25.21% |
| 2017 | 74.04% | 25.96% |
| 2018 | 45.27% | 54.73% |
| 2019 | 36.95% | 63.05% |
| 2020 | 31.80% | 68.20% |
| 2021 | 32.80% | 67.20% |
Apparel designer related jobs gender ratio
We compared apparel designers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, exhibit builder and senior industrial designer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Decorating Consultant | 9% | 91% |
| Floral Designer | 11% | 89% |
| Floral Manager | 11% | 89% |
| Apparel Designer | 33% | 67% |
| Craftsman | 88% | 12% |
| Senior Industrial Designer | 91% | 9% |
| Exhibit Builder | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Apparel designer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among apparel designers is White, which makes up 63.0% of all apparel designers. Comparatively, 11.9% of apparel designers are Hispanic or Latino and 11.6% of apparel designers are Asian.
- White, 63.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 11.9%
- Asian, 11.6%
- Black or African American, 7.3%
- Unknown, 5.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Apparel designer race
| Apparel designer race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.9% |
| Asian | 11.6% |
| Black or African American | 7.3% |
| Unknown | 5.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Apparel designer race and ethnicity over time
See how apparel designer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Apparel designer race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 80.32% | 3.37% | 6.45% | 8.15% |
| 2011 | 79.15% | 3.38% | 7.00% | 8.33% |
| 2012 | 78.60% | 3.42% | 6.69% | 9.26% |
| 2013 | 79.01% | 3.39% | 7.37% | 8.05% |
| 2014 | 78.43% | 3.15% | 7.37% | 8.85% |
| 2015 | 77.58% | 3.31% | 7.11% | 9.89% |
| 2016 | 77.09% | 3.54% | 7.72% | 9.34% |
| 2017 | 77.04% | 3.17% | 8.01% | 9.29% |
| 2018 | 59.60% | 6.29% | 13.25% | 15.23% |
| 2019 | 57.46% | 7.46% | 17.16% | 13.18% |
| 2020 | 58.27% | 7.38% | 12.72% | 17.81% |
| 2021 | 63.04% | 7.34% | 11.65% | 11.90% |
Apparel designer wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown apparel designers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White apparel designers have the lowest average salary at $68,147.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $93,153 |
| White | $68,147 |
| Black or African American | $73,141 |
| Asian | $70,510 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $83,505 |
Average apparel designer age
See how the average age of apparel designers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Apparel designer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| White | 34 | 34.5 |
| Asian | 39 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 |
Apparel designer age breakdown
The average age of apparel designers is 40+ years years old, representing 37% of the apparel designer population.
Apparel designer age breakdown
| Apparel Designer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 37% |
| 30-40 years | 34% |
| 20-30 years | 27% |
Apparel designer educational attainment
The most common degree for apparel designers is bachelor's degree, with 66% of apparel designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 4%.
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Associate, 23%
- Master's, 4%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Apparel designers by degree level
| Apparel designer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 66% |
| Associate | 23% |
| Master's | 4% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Apparel designer jobs you might like
Apparel designer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, apparel designers with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $86,472 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, apparel designers earn a median annual income of $85,078 compared to $61,961 for apparel designers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $61,961 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $85,078 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $86,472 |
Apparel designer employment statistics
Most apparel designers work for a private in the retail industry.
Company size where apparel designers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where apparel designers work.
Apparel designer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 6% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 21% |
Apparel designer jobs by company type
Employees with the apparel designer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most apparel designers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Apparel designer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 33% |
| Private | 65% |
Apparel designer jobs by industry
The most common industries for apparel designers are retail, manufacturing and professional.
Apparel designer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Retail | 46% |
| Manufacturing | 12% |
| Fortune 500 | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Media | 5% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Apparel designer turnover and employment statistics
Apparel designer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for apparel designers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Apparel designer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Apparel designer unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.84% |
| 2011 | 7.82% |
| 2012 | 7.12% |
| 2013 | 5.32% |
| 2014 | 4.78% |
| 2015 | 4.60% |
| 2016 | 4.15% |
| 2017 | 3.61% |
| 2018 | 5.28% |
| 2019 | 6.25% |
| 2020 | 12.09% |
| 2021 | 16.87% |
Average apparel designer tenure
The average apparel designer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 751 apparel designers resumes in Zippia's database.
Apparel designer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 38% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Apparel designer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of apparel designers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Craftsman | 11.32% | 1,269 |
| Theater Set Production Designer | 12.35% | 97,246 |
| Interactive Designer | 13.05% | 48,136 |
| Florist Designer | 14.26% | 43,831 |
| Senior Merchandiser | 16.91% | 65,852 |
| Apparel Designer | 17.98% | - |
| Interior Decorator | 22.51% | 11,194 |
Similar apparel designer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Craftsman | 11.32% | 1,269 |
| Theater Set Production Designer | 12.35% | 97,246 |
| Interactive Designer | 13.05% | 48,136 |
| Florist Designer | 14.26% | 43,831 |
| Senior Merchandiser | 16.91% | 65,852 |
| Interior Decorator | 22.51% | 11,194 |
Foreign languages spoken by apparel designers
The most common foreign language among apparel designers is Spanish at 35.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Italian at 12.5% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 10.0%.
- Spanish, 35.0%
- Italian, 12.5%
- Mandarin, 10.0%
- Chinese, 7.5%
- Japanese, 5.0%
- Other, 30.0%
Apparel designer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 35.0% |
| Italian | 12.5% |
| Mandarin | 10.0% |
| Chinese | 7.5% |
| Japanese | 5.0% |
| Other | 30.0% |
