Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform to ignite and harness the passions of fans and maximize the presence and reach for hundreds of partners globally. Optimizing these long-standing partnerships, a database of more than 80 million global consumers and a trusted, recognizable brand name, Fanatics is expanding beyond its position as a global leader for licensed sports merchandise to now becoming a next-gen digital sports platform, featuring an array of offerings for fans across the sports ecosystem.
The Fanatics family of companies currently includes Fanatics Commerce, a vertically-integrated licensed merchandise business that has changed the way fans purchase their favorite team apparel, jerseys, headwear and hardgoods through a tech-infused approach to making and quickly distributing fan gear in today's 24/7 mobile-first economy; Candy Digital, a digital collectibles company that is partnering with prominent sports properties, including MLB and MLBPA, to build an official NFT ecosystem; Fanatics Collectibles, through Topps as a cornerstone of the business, building a new model for the collectibles and trading cards hobby with top leagues and players association partners; and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, a mobile betting, gaming and retail sportsbook platform. Fanatics' partners include all major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, PGA) and hundreds of collegiate and professional teams, which include several of the biggest global soccer clubs.
As a market leader with more than 9,000 employees, and hundreds of partners, suppliers, and vendors worldwide, we take responsibility for driving toward more ethical and sustainable practices. We are committed to building an inclusive Fanatics community, reflecting and representing society at every level of the business, including our employees, vendors, partners and fans. Fanatics is also dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities where we all live, work, and play through strategic philanthropic initiatives.
At Fanatics, we're a diverse, passionate group of employees aiming to ignite pride and passion in the fans we outfit, celebrate and support. We recognize that diversity helps drive and foster innovation, and through our IDEA program (inclusion, diversity, equality and advocacy) at Fanatics we provide employees with tools and resources to feel connected and engaged in who they are and what they do to support the ultimate fan experience.
Create conceptual design sketches which convey body, styling, fit intent, fabrics, trims and colors. Execute the design and development of product based on creative direction, product brief and line plan. Work closely with Apparel Design manager and team to create consistent story-telling across leagues and brands. Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Graphic Design, Product Development, Sourcing and Merchandising on complete product strategy to meet financial targets.
ResponsibilitiesSupport and have some oversight of the design and development of seasonal, replenishment and special event lines Consumer-focused mindset with an understanding of needs and ability to translate into product design Will be an integral partner with Merchandising, Sourcing and Product Development teams to create a smooth transition between initial concepts and final products Work closely with development team to ensure design intent is carried through to final product Responsible for balancing brand identity rules with creative opportunities in order to elevate the league brands as well as Fanatics Brands through visual storytelling Strong knowledge of trends, consumer insights, new opportunities, and competition Provide unique insight into relevant market trends with a point of view on commercial viability of styles with a consumer-focused mindset
RequirementsBachelor's Degree in Apparel Design, Graphic Design, Merchandising, or related field with 2-4 years professional experience; 4+ years of professional experience in Accessories/Headwear Design is acceptable without a degree Portfolio of previous work required Strong skill set and knowledge of apparel design, fabrics, trims, garment styling and construction techniques Intermediate knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign with an awareness of the latest creative software programs, techniques, and applications Functional knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and project management systems Strong written and verbal communication both internally and externally Must be results focused and highly detail oriented Ability to create and execute in a deadline oriented environment Demonstrate a professional and positive attitude with internal and external clients with an openness to new ideas and differing opinions Must have strong organization skills or order to troubleshoot and manage multiple projects Familiarity with U.S. Sports and Licensed properties with a passion for great product and design
Tryouts are open at Fanatics! Our team is passionate, talented, unified, and charged with creating the fan experience of tomorrow. The ball is in your court now.
Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don't fall victim to fraud. Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics or Fanatics Brand email address. For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers
Fanatics is committed to responsible planning and purchasing (RPP) practices, working with its business partners across its global and multi-layered supply chain, to ensure that planning, sourcing, and purchasing decisions, along with other supporting processes, do not impede or conflict with the fulfillment of Fanatics' fair labor practices.
NOTICE TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS/APPLICANTS: In connection with your application, we collect information that identifies, reasonably relates to or describes you (“Personal Information”). The categories of Personal Information that we collect include your name, government issued identification number(s), email address, mailing address, other contact information, emergency contact information, employment history, educational history, criminal record, and demographic information. We collect and use those categories of Personal Information about you for human resources and other business management purposes, including identifying and evaluating you as a candidate for potential or future employment or future contract positions, recordkeeping in relation to recruiting and hiring, conducting criminal background checks as permitted by law, conducting analytics, and ensuring compliance with applicable legal requirements and Company policies.
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How to hire an apparel designer
Apparel designer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring apparel designers in the United States:
- In the United States, the median cost per hire an apparel designer is $1,633.
- It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
- Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
- On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new apparel designer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.
How to hire an apparel designer, step by step
To hire an apparel designer, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a apparel designer:
Here's a step-by-step apparel designer hiring guide:
- Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
- Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
- Step 3: Make a budget
- Step 4: Write an apparel designer job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new apparel designer
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
What does an apparel designer do?
Apparel designers, also known as clothing or fashion designers, conceptualize and produce items of clothing. They frequently specialize in one type of design, like active, casual, or evening wear. Typical duties include monitoring current fashion trends and forecast future ones, sketching new designs, choosing patterns and fabrics to utilize in garments, and supervising production. They may present items to creative directors, clients, or retailers to determine if the garments are to be conventionally designed or mass-produced.
Post an apparel designer job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
First, determine the employments status of the apparel designer you need to hire. Certain apparel designer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?An apparel designer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, apparel designers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.
Here's a comparison of apparel designer salaries for various roles:
Type of Apparel Designer Description Hourly rate Apparel Designer Fashion designers create original clothing, accessories, and footwear. They sketch designs, select fabrics and patterns, and give instructions on how to make the products they designed. $19-50 Graphic Artist A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project... Show more $16-40 Visual Merchandiser A visual merchandiser is responsible for arranging product displays at retail outlets, attracting customers to purchase the items. Visual merchandisers should be updated with the latest trends in the market to prioritize retail displays and floor plans... Show more $12-25 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- Adobe Illustrator
- Tech Packs
- Sketch
- Apparel Design
- Technical Design
- PLM
- Design Concepts
- Product Development
- Development Process
- Market Research
- Trend Research
- CAD
- Trade Shows
- Mood Boards
Responsibilities:- Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
- Create detailed conceptual and sketch presentations for senior management seasonally.
- Prepare PowerPoint documents for client presentation that include furniture and material selections.
- Select NYC print studios to handle outsource design projects and monitor progress to ensure work are completed on deadline.
- Design Missy sweater line for domestic sweater manufacturer.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your apparel designer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An apparel designer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.
For example, the average salary for an apparel designer in North Carolina may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level apparel designer usually earns less than a senior-level apparel designer. Additionally, an apparel designer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.
Average apparel designer salary
$65,467yearly
$31.47 hourly rateEntry-level apparel designer salary$40,000 yearly salaryUpdated February 1, 2026Average apparel designer salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 California $83,473 $40 2 Oregon $83,306 $40 3 Washington $79,528 $38 4 Massachusetts $65,673 $32 5 New York $64,888 $31 6 New Jersey $58,363 $28 7 Maryland $57,410 $28 8 Colorado $56,353 $27 9 Wisconsin $50,177 $24 10 Florida $47,166 $23 11 North Carolina $46,287 $22 Average apparel designer salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 Fanatics $112,867 $54.26 27 2 PVH $110,882 $53.31 25 3 VF $106,022 $50.97 13 4 Nike $105,947 $50.94 97 5 Harley-Davidson $92,193 $44.32 6 Neiman Marcus Group $89,822 $43.18 7 Under Armour $86,336 $41.51 85 8 Belk $84,979 $40.86 9 Converse $84,249 $40.50 10 Meijer $80,475 $38.69 1 11 Abercrombie & Fitch Co $79,693 $38.31 20 12 Columbia Sportswear $78,196 $37.59 13 Brooks Running $71,327 $34.29 10 14 Tyndale $70,921 $34.10 15 Reebok $67,423 $32.41 16 Acushnet Holdings $65,936 $31.70 1 17 G F PARTNERS $63,211 $30.39 18 Adidas North America Inc $62,908 $30.24 2 19 Wicked Fashions, Inc. $62,429 $30.01 20 Miller’s $61,999 $29.81 1 Writing an apparel designer job description
A job description for an apparel designer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an apparel designer job description:
Apparel designer job description example
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right apparel designer for your business:
- Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
- Post your apparel designer job on Zippia to find and recruit apparel designer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Your first interview with apparel designer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.
It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new apparel designer
Once you've decided on a perfect apparel designer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire an apparel designer?
Recruiting apparel designers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.
Apparel designers earn a median yearly salary is $65,467 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find apparel designers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $19 and $50.
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Updated February 1, 2026