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Best states for a fashion designer
Quoted expert
Linda Manikowske Ph.D.
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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for fashion designers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for fashion designer jobs.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for fashion designers. We found that Washington is the best state in the nation for fashion designers, and people in Carson City earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for fashion designers.We found that Washington is the best state for fashion designer jobs, whereas Kansas is the worst.
10 best states for fashion designers in 2025
1. Washington
Total fashion designer jobs: 714 Average annual salary: $64,565 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.76
2. Rhode Island
Total fashion designer jobs: 61 Average annual salary: $64,861 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
3. Utah
Total fashion designer jobs: 201 Average annual salary: $61,212 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
4. Nevada
Total fashion designer jobs: 81 Average annual salary: $68,741 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
5. New Hampshire
Total fashion designer jobs: 84 Average annual salary: $63,863 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
6. California
Total fashion designer jobs: 2,503 Average annual salary: $63,227 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
7. Connecticut
Total fashion designer jobs: 153 Average annual salary: $64,845 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
8. District of Columbia
Total fashion designer jobs: 186 Average annual salary: $62,789 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 2
9. Oregon
Total fashion designer jobs: 381 Average annual salary: $57,835 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.66
10. Maine
Total fashion designer jobs: 60 Average annual salary: $58,647 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
Fashion designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a fashion designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a fashion designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $64,565 | $41,000 | 7,405,743 | 714 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $64,861 | $43,000 | 1,059,639 | 61 |
| 3 | Utah | $61,212 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 201 |
| 4 | Nevada | $68,741 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 81 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $63,863 | $43,000 | 1,342,795 | 84 |
| 6 | California | $63,227 | $40,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,503 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $64,845 | $43,000 | 3,588,184 | 153 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $62,789 | $41,000 | 693,972 | 186 |
| 9 | Oregon | $57,835 | $37,000 | 4,142,776 | 381 |
| 10 | Maine | $58,647 | $39,000 | 1,335,907 | 60 |
| 11 | Idaho | $63,228 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 57 |
| 12 | Delaware | $63,874 | $42,000 | 961,939 | 43 |
| 13 | New York | $54,702 | $36,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,115 |
| 14 | Colorado | $55,637 | $37,000 | 5,607,154 | 316 |
| 15 | Vermont | $56,563 | $38,000 | 623,657 | 29 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $52,664 | $35,000 | 6,859,819 | 594 |
| 17 | Missouri | $52,896 | $36,000 | 6,113,532 | 275 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $55,705 | $39,000 | 755,393 | 31 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $54,050 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 79 |
| 20 | Alaska | $59,860 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 22 |
| 21 | Texas | $48,744 | $32,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,056 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $54,206 | $35,000 | 9,005,644 | 329 |
| 23 | Ohio | $48,069 | $32,000 | 11,658,609 | 442 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $52,269 | $34,000 | 2,984,100 | 56 |
| 25 | Georgia | $45,460 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 673 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $45,581 | $30,000 | 12,805,537 | 562 |
| 27 | Maryland | $49,439 | $32,000 | 6,052,177 | 325 |
| 28 | Montana | $50,212 | $33,000 | 1,050,493 | 38 |
| 29 | Michigan | $44,645 | $29,000 | 9,962,311 | 432 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $47,181 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 34 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $45,855 | $31,000 | 3,930,864 | 115 |
| 32 | Virginia | $44,093 | $29,000 | 8,470,020 | 636 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $46,694 | $31,000 | 1,815,857 | 41 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $44,284 | $29,000 | 5,795,483 | 303 |
| 35 | Arizona | $44,543 | $29,000 | 7,016,270 | 267 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $43,097 | $29,000 | 5,576,606 | 364 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $44,743 | $29,000 | 5,024,369 | 169 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $45,558 | $30,000 | 4,684,333 | 91 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $44,824 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 119 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $50,093 | $36,000 | 1,427,538 | 20 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $44,197 | $29,000 | 2,088,070 | 73 |
| 42 | Indiana | $43,632 | $29,000 | 6,666,818 | 224 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $41,903 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 483 |
| 44 | Florida | $43,760 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 610 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $44,020 | $29,000 | 579,315 | 16 |
| 46 | Illinois | $36,052 | $24,000 | 12,802,023 | 645 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $41,068 | $27,000 | 6,715,984 | 206 |
| 48 | Alabama | $40,285 | $26,000 | 4,874,747 | 156 |
| 49 | Iowa | $35,508 | $24,000 | 3,145,711 | 157 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $40,761 | $27,000 | 3,004,279 | 87 |
| 51 | Kansas | $34,201 | $23,000 | 2,913,123 | 129 |
Highest paying states for fashion designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Fashion Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $64,565 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $64,861 |
| 3 | Utah | $61,212 |
| 4 | Nevada | $68,741 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $63,863 |
| 6 | California | $63,227 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $64,845 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $62,789 |
| 9 | Oregon | $57,835 |
| 10 | Maine | $58,647 |
| 11 | Idaho | $63,228 |
| 12 | Delaware | $63,874 |
| 13 | New York | $54,702 |
| 14 | Colorado | $55,637 |
| 15 | Vermont | $56,563 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $52,664 |
| 17 | Missouri | $52,896 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $55,705 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $54,050 |
| 20 | Alaska | $59,860 |
| 21 | Texas | $48,744 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $54,206 |
| 23 | Ohio | $48,069 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $52,269 |
| 25 | Georgia | $45,460 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $45,581 |
| 27 | Maryland | $49,439 |
| 28 | Montana | $50,212 |
| 29 | Michigan | $44,645 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $47,181 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $45,855 |
| 32 | Virginia | $44,093 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $46,694 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $44,284 |
| 35 | Arizona | $44,543 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $43,097 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $44,743 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $45,558 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $44,824 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $50,093 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $44,197 |
| 42 | Indiana | $43,632 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $41,903 |
| 44 | Florida | $43,760 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $44,020 |
| 46 | Illinois | $36,052 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $41,068 |
| 48 | Alabama | $40,285 |
| 49 | Iowa | $35,508 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $40,761 |
| 51 | Kansas | $34,201 |
Expert opinions on the best states for fashion designers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for fashion designers to find work opportunities?
Linda Manikowske Ph.D.
Professor, North Dakota State University
Graduates with a degree in Apparel, Retail Merchandising, and Design find work in all locations. Some find jobs in major cities working for large retail corporations, while others start their own business in a small community or rural area. There are many opportunities in this diverse industry.
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Updated January 8, 2025