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What is an assistant designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Gina Pisut Ph.D.
introduction image

The responsibilities of an assistant designer vary by industry. This is because there are graphic designers, fashion designers, game designers, accessory designers, and jewelry designers, among others.

As an assistant to a fashion designer, you'll be responsible for researching current trends and providing design samples for reference. You'll assist in drawing 3D illustrations, arranging materials, and preparing prototypes. When working with a production designer, you'll arrange props, purchase or rent costumes, produce ambiance sounds, and edit parts of the show. With a graphic designer, you'll prepare blueprints and create graphics.

To become an assistant designer, you need a degree in media production, graphic designing, fashion designing, or a relevant field. You must possess creative skills and the ability to sell yourself. Likewise, you must be passionate and be able to work for hours. Assistant designers earn an average salary of $48,420 annually. This ranges between $36,000 and $65,000.

What general advice would you give to an assistant designer?

Gina Pisut Ph.D.Gina Pisut Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Chair, Department of Human Sciences

3D Design and AI technology for fashion design and product development. Their use for improving cost, efficiency and customer experience is pivotal. However, there will never be a replacement for the human element that contributes to fashion creativity.
ScoreAssistant DesignerUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $52,475

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
4.2

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 10.42%

Black or African American 3.42%

Hispanic or Latino 10.63%

Unknown 4.99%

White 70.17%

Gender

female 71.75%

male 28.25%

Age - 37
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37
Stress level
4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Assistant designer career paths

Key steps to become an assistant designer

  1. Explore assistant designer education requirements

    Most common assistant designer degrees

    Bachelor's

    67.5 %

    Associate

    23.4 %

    Master's

    4.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific assistant designer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Sketch15.03%
    Tech Packs9.09%
    Adobe Illustrator6.57%
    Line Sheets5.09%
    Trend Research4.43%
  3. Complete relevant assistant designer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New assistant designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an assistant designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real assistant designer resumes.
  4. Research assistant designer duties and responsibilities

    • Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
    • Direct yarn development team.- propose PLM transitional initiatives.- Collaboratively work to evaluate and elevate in-house design process efficiency.
    • Work in mac format adobe suite programs and pc format u4ia.
    • Generate and update style numbers and BOM's in WebPDM system BlueCherry.
  5. Prepare your assistant designer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your assistant designer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an assistant designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable assistant designer resume templates

    Build a professional assistant designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your assistant designer resume.
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    Assistant Designer Resume
  6. Apply for assistant designer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an assistant designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first assistant designer job

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Average assistant designer salary

The average assistant designer salary in the United States is $52,475 per year or $25 per hour. Assistant designer salaries range between $37,000 and $73,000 per year.

Average assistant designer salary
$52,475 Yearly
$25.23 hourly

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How do assistant designers rate their job?

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Assistant designer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2023
Pros

Creative work feels more like playing rather than working. It's delightful to make something that is from your own imagination that is truly unique. Even when the work it challenging it can still be very rewarding in the end.

Cons

There are slow moments in this business, therefore a designer must prepare financially for down times. In between seasons is when you find the time to be more innovative with the processes of jewelry design.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

Each project has its own set of requirements to suite the owner’s style and needs.

Cons

Marketing our services to attract new clientele.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Cons

Buyers mailing low quality pictures that i can redraw its because of the visibility of the picture details cannot be seen


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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