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Set designer vs costume designer

The differences between set designers and costume designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a set designer, becoming a costume designer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a set designer has an average salary of $57,970, which is higher than the $54,229 average annual salary of a costume designer.

The top three skills for a set designer include set design, art direction and photography. The most important skills for a costume designer are costumes, make-up, and costume shop.

Set designer vs costume designer overview

Set DesignerCostume Designer
Yearly salary$57,970$54,229
Hourly rate$27.87$26.07
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs49,10247,323
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4237
Years of experience46

Set designer vs costume designer salary

Set designers and costume designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Set DesignerCostume Designer
Average salary$57,970$54,229
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $94,000Between $34,000 And $84,000
Highest paying CityNew Windsor, NYCamarillo, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyRhode Island
Best paying companyStanley Black & DeckerPoly Prep Country Day School
Best paying industryEducationProfessional

Differences between set designer and costume designer education

There are a few differences between a set designer and a costume designer in terms of educational background:

Set DesignerCostume Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorFine ArtsGraphic Design
Most common collegeStanford UniversityCornell University

Set designer vs costume designer demographics

Here are the differences between set designers' and costume designers' demographics:

Set DesignerCostume Designer
Average age4237
Gender ratioMale, 49.5% Female, 50.5%Male, 19.3% Female, 80.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 11.4% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%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 Percentage12%18%

Differences between set designer and costume designer duties and responsibilities

Set designer example responsibilities.

  • Develop UNIX shell scripts to automate file manipulation and data loading process.
  • Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
  • Used PL/SQL for writing procedures and triggers.
  • Trouble-Shout, reload and reject records using DTS, SQL scripts.
  • Create stored procedures, functions, packages, views and triggers using PL/SQL.
  • Project entail building a Halloween store set for the movie team in Cleveland area.
    • Show more

Costume designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage all daily costume distributions and collection, laundering and maintenance/repair of costumes.
  • Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
  • Design and sew children's Halloween costumes.
  • Contribute in production and on set as an assistant dressing the actors, maintaining the costumes, and setting up/organizing wardrobe.
  • Source cut and sew knits in NYC garment district.
  • Sketch, pattern and sew costume for cast including accessories.
    • Show more

Set designer vs costume designer skills

Common set designer skills
  • Set Design, 36%
  • Art Direction, 17%
  • Photography, 9%
  • CAD, 6%
  • Graphic Design, 6%
  • Concept Development, 5%
Common costume designer skills
  • Costumes, 27%
  • Make-Up, 9%
  • Costume Shop, 8%
  • Design Concepts, 8%
  • Character Development, 7%
  • Wardrobe, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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