Costume designer demographics and statistics in the US
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Costume designer demographics by:
Costume designer gender statistics
80.7% of costume designers are women and 19.3% of costume designers are men.
- Female, 80.7%
- Male, 19.3%
Costume designer gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 80.7% |
| Male | 19.3% |
Costume designer gender pay gap
Women earn 89¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$63,189
Female income
$56,270
Costume designer gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in costume designer positions over time. Currently, 80.7% of costume designers are female.
Costume designer gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 59.86% | 40.14% |
| 2011 | 60.11% | 39.89% |
| 2012 | 59.32% | 40.68% |
| 2013 | 61.68% | 38.32% |
| 2014 | 59.57% | 40.43% |
| 2015 | 60.30% | 39.70% |
| 2016 | 59.22% | 40.78% |
| 2017 | 58.28% | 41.72% |
| 2018 | 28.83% | 71.17% |
| 2019 | 22.29% | 77.71% |
| 2020 | 18.59% | 81.41% |
| 2021 | 19.29% | 80.71% |
Costume designer related jobs gender ratio
We compared costume 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% |
| Costume Designer | 19% | 81% |
| Craftsman | 88% | 12% |
| Senior Industrial Designer | 91% | 9% |
| Exhibit Builder | 93% | 7% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Costume designer demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among costume designers is White, which makes up 63.0% of all costume designers. Comparatively, 11.9% of costume designers are Hispanic or Latino and 11.6% of costume 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%
Costume designer race
| Costume 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% |
Costume designer race and ethnicity over time
See how costume designer racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Costume 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% |
Costume designer wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown costume designers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White costume designers have the lowest average salary at $56,292.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $75,308 |
| White | $56,292 |
| Black or African American | $60,124 |
| Asian | $58,107 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $68,019 |
Average costume designer age
See how the average age of costume designers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Costume designer age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| White | 34 | 34.5 |
| Asian | 39 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 |
Costume designer age breakdown
The average age of costume designers is 40+ years years old, representing 37% of the costume designer population.
Costume designer age breakdown
| Costume Designer Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 37% |
| 30-40 years | 34% |
| 20-30 years | 27% |
Costume designer educational attainment
The most common degree for costume designers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of costume designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Costume designers by degree level
| Costume designer degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 72% |
| Associate | 14% |
| Master's | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Costume designer jobs you might like
Costume designer wage gap by degree level
According to the data, costume designers with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $70,267 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, costume designers earn a median annual income of $69,211 compared to $51,519 for costume designers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,519 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $69,211 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $70,267 |
Costume designer employment statistics
Most costume designers work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where costume designers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where costume designers work.
Costume designer jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Costume designer jobs by company type
Employees with the costume designer job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most costume designers prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Costume designer jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 50% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 41% |
| Government | 3% |
Costume designer jobs by industry
The most common industries for costume designers are education, media and retail.
Costume designer industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 43% |
| Media | 21% |
| Retail | 6% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 5% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Costume designer turnover and employment statistics
Costume designer unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for costume designers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Costume designer unemployment rate by year
| Year | Costume 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 costume designer tenure
The average costume designer stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 2,183 costume designers resumes in Zippia's database.
Costume designer tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 42% |
| 1-2 years | 22% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Costume designer LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of costume 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Specialist | 11.32% | 528 |
| Home Stager | 12.35% | 39,061 |
| Visualizer | 13.05% | 761 |
| Floral Manager | 14.26% | 51,189 |
| Retail Coverage Merchandiser | 16.91% | 100,999 |
| Costume Designer | 17.98% | - |
| Furniture Arranger | 22.51% | 974 |
Similar costume designer jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Specialist | 11.32% | 528 |
| Home Stager | 12.35% | 39,061 |
| Visualizer | 13.05% | 761 |
| Floral Manager | 14.26% | 51,189 |
| Retail Coverage Merchandiser | 16.91% | 100,999 |
| Furniture Arranger | 22.51% | 974 |
Foreign languages spoken by costume designers
The most common foreign language among costume designers is Spanish at 38.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 23.2% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 6.5%.
- Spanish, 38.4%
- French, 23.2%
- Chinese, 6.5%
- Italian, 5.8%
- Mandarin, 5.1%
- Other, 21.0%
Costume designer languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 38.4% |
| French | 23.2% |
| Chinese | 6.5% |
| Italian | 5.8% |
| Mandarin | 5.1% |
| Other | 21.0% |
