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Job outlook for costume designers in the United States
Are costume designer jobs in demand?
Costume designer job and salary trends over time
Costume designer jobs over time
Costume designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,427 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,645 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 2,768 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,482 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,380 | 0.00% |
Average costume designer salary over time
Costume designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $54,229 | $26.07 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $52,784 | $25.38 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $52,018 | $25.01 | +7.9% |
| 2023 | $48,227 | $23.19 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $46,618 | $22.41 | +2.4% |
Costume designer jobs by state
Most common states for costume designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 204 | 29% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 780 | 11% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 739 | 11% |
| 4 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 434 | 10% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 128 | 10% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 753 | 9% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 98 | 9% |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 798 | 8% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 428 | 8% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 245 | 8% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 51 | 8% |
| 12 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,939 | 7% |
| 13 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,291 | 7% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 380 | 7% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 68 | 7% |
| 16 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 603 | 6% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 387 | 6% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 353 | 6% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 218 | 6% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 43 | 6% |
Most common cities for costume designers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $58,662 |
Costume Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of costume designer experts
Beloit College
What general advice would you give to a Costume Designer?
Shelbi Wilkin: Day to day work can vary when working as a designer for theatre. When not researching and analyzing plays, designers work on rendering designs, budgets, and sourcing materials. Designers can expect regular meetings with a production team and shop supervisors for their discipline. As a costume designer my role would be to meet with costume shop managers and drapers to ensure designs are realized per my vision, attend fittings for actors, tech rehearsals, photo calls, and strike for a performance. How much the costume designer engages with a shop or builds costumes themselves depends on the institution hiring.
What Costume Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Shelbi Wilkin: Theatre is a highly collaborative artistic space. It allows artists the freedom to create and present their art while receiving a steady paycheck. This collaborative environment produces strong community ties to other theatre artists. As a designer, I get to wear many hats, I enjoy the diverse research and analysis that goes into every design for a production. I then get to use that research to create dynamic costume designs for the stage.
What will help Costume Designers increase their earning potential?
Shelbi Wilkin: Not all theater's pay wages proportionately to the work and expertise asked of theatre artists. Many established theatre artists are working to change this culture in the industry, especially for early career professionals.