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The differences between costume designers and apparel designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a costume designer and an apparel designer. Additionally, an apparel designer has an average salary of $65,467, which is higher than the $54,229 average annual salary of a costume designer.
The top three skills for a costume designer include costumes, make-up and costume shop. The most important skills for an apparel designer are adobe illustrator, tech packs, and sketch.
| Costume Designer | Apparel Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $54,229 | $65,467 |
| Hourly rate | $26.07 | $31.47 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 47,323 | 46,436 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Costume designers and apparel designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Costume Designer | Apparel Designer | |
| Average salary | $54,229 | $65,467 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $84,000 | Between $40,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Camarillo, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Poly Prep Country Day School | Fanatics |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a costume designer and an apparel designer in terms of educational background:
| Costume Designer | Apparel Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Graphic Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between costume designers' and apparel designers' demographics:
| Costume Designer | Apparel Designer | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7% | Male, 32.8% Female, 67.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 11.6% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% Asian, 11.6% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 18% | 18% |