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Job outlook for textile designers in the United States
Are textile designer jobs in demand?
Textile designer job and salary trends over time
Textile designer jobs over time
Textile designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,679 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,809 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,969 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,995 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,878 | 0.00% |
Average textile designer salary over time
Textile designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $52,245 | $25.12 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $50,240 | $24.15 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $48,563 | $23.35 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | $48,110 | $23.13 | --2.7% |
| 2021 | $49,438 | $23.77 | +1.0% |
Textile designer jobs by state
Most common states for textile designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 221 | 32% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 890 | 12% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 479 | 12% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 778 | 11% |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 133 | 10% |
| 6 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,368 | 9% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 761 | 9% |
| 8 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 270 | 9% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 94 | 9% |
| 10 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 805 | 8% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 443 | 8% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 48 | 8% |
| 13 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,374 | 7% |
| 14 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 423 | 7% |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 407 | 7% |
| 16 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 394 | 7% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 215 | 7% |
| 18 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 88 | 7% |
| 19 | Delaware | 961,939 | 67 | 7% |
| 20 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 170 | 6% |
Textile Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of textile designer experts
Louisiana State University and A&M College
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College
University of Rhode Island
Georgia Southern University
North Dakota State University
What general advice would you give to a Textile Designer?
Dr. Mary Elliott: Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
What Textile Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mary Elliott: The fashion industry is one of the largest industries in the world. According to McKinsey & Company, if the fashion industry were a country measuring GDP, it would be the 7th largest economy in the world. The fashion industry encompasses all of the processes needed to take raw product to finished textiles and then to the finished product ready for purchasing by the consumer. This diverse, fast-paced, constantly changing industry is generally divided into two categories for preparation purposes: the creative side and the business side.
What will help Textile Designers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Mary Elliott: Because this industry is constantly changing and adapting to economic forces around the world, its employees need to be highly flexible critical thinkers who love working in fast-paced environments.
What Textile Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Gina Pisut Ph.D.: In addition to being well versed in computer design software for Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising graduates, students need to truly be open to learning, have strong communication skills, and be able to work well in a team. The most common feedback we get from fashion and retail companies is students must be willing to do the work, be open to learning and doing different aspects of the business, and be adaptable and able to pivot when changes come within this fast-paced industry.
What will help Textile Designers increase their earning potential?
Gina Pisut Ph.D.: Students should think in terms of always gaining experience or transferrable skills in every part-time job or volunteer experience. This can be incremental over time. In these positions, think in terms of build something with the company you are at. This may be a customer experience, a product, or a process. What this does is show your value to a new company and provide you a means to negotiate your worth.
Lorrie Ivas
Full-time FacultySanta Monica College
Photo, Fashion Department
What soft skills should all Textile Designers possess?
Lorrie Ivas: Love the actual definition of "soft skills": personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.
What is often overlooked is communicating professionally via email, text, phone, and/or personal interactions. Basic business etiquette is very important. Fashion is a creative field, yet it is also a business ... and professionalism always stands out... Attention to detail will set one apart from the others. So many resumes come in with spelling errors! It is often just one page! Not proofing once - and then proofing again, and then having someone else's fresh eyes proof it one more time - shows a lack of attention to detail.
Design is a collaborative proposition, so the ability to share ideas with a team is vital.
And again, knowledge of social media platforms, where professional and creative communication/writing skills are as important as the photographs, represents someone who will be a valuable addition to a design firm.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Textile Designers?
Lorrie Ivas: The ability to communicate your design concepts to the team (or future boss/interviewer) is vital. Hand and digital fashion sketching and illustration skills are necessary at every step. Scholarships, competitions, or internships often request a sample portfolio, so it doesn't go any further if the illustrations don't "wow" the judging viewer. One can sew/tailor beautifully, but knowing how to "show" that skillset to the judge or employer is vital - i.e., photographing the step-by-step process with close-up details of tailoring skills and presenting it digitally... will win. One may not show actual garments... so knowing how to "sell" your skills is crucial.
What skills will help Textile Designers earn the most?
Lorrie Ivas: Digital skills are the "unique" differential in being the most valuable to a company today, as international communication resampling and production are all done online. And as mentioned in the above questions, the traditional "hands-on" skills coupled with digital skills are the best mix.
I co-authored a Fairchild/Bloomsbury fashion textbook years ago (2006) entitled "From Pencil to Pen Tool: Understanding and Creating the Digital Fashion Image" since there wasn't a formalized curriculum including Photoshop and Illustrator training for fashion students. All the job opportunities required software skills, but graphic designers were applying because they had those software skills... but didn't have the fashion skills. Now, thankfully, college programs across the country provide appropriate training.
Lorrie Ivas
Full-time FacultySanta Monica College
Photo, Fashion Department
What general advice would you give to a Textile Designer?
Lorrie Ivas: The most important skills are to be technically proficient - whether it means in the product development phase (Adobe Creative Suite, TukaTech, CLO, et al) or production tracking and/ or sales arena (AIMS360, et al). It is important to know both the "hand" skills as well as the "digital" skills, as both are important to the company you will work for as you begin your career.
What Textile Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lorrie Ivas: Know that every single class you may have thought didn't specifically apply to 'what career you thought you wanted' will definitely benefit you and your success in the fashion industry. Your major in apparel and textiles has prepared you for the business and the art of this industry, as it is truly an art and a business. You have picked a career that you will never tire of, as you will be exposed to so many facets of the creation of fashion apparel / accessories/ textiles/interiors, et al. The fashion industry works with so many other industries that a textile designer may use their color knowledge in the beauty industry or may want to enter the lifestyle merchandising area (interiors, set design, etc.). Fashion promotion may steer one to fashion photography or styling while creating lookbooks or working on a fashion editorial. Long story short, take a chance in entering any facet of the apparel industry, as you will experience so many interesting paths that you never thought existed.
What technical skills for a Textile Designer stand out to employers?
Elaine Grullón: Some technical skills that stand out to employers is the ability to combine the manual with the technology, in other words combining the old and new media. The rise of new media has caused a need to understand social media but not just the practical but the functional side which includes data analysis. You have to be able to answer questions related to why this trend or if not favorable how we can make improvements. It is all about adaptability and responding to a change in need or even want. Also having knowledge on using computer aided programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or even InDesign, it is important to be able to perform technical writing. Marketing is all about catching the consumers attention in that first moment. Without an understanding of design, and the principles and elements that go alongside the purpose of great marketing will be defeated.
Hope Wallace Simpara
Assistant Professor of Fashion Merchandising and Apparel DesignGeorgia Southern University
School of Human Ecology
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Textile Designers in the next 5 years?
Hope Wallace Simpara: I think that there will be an increase in demand in this field. Projects will still need to be developed, but the type of product will aim to satisfy a different customer need. Walmart had reported an increase in the sales of women's blouses and tops online during the first two months of the pandemic because of the shift to "work at home" culture. Amazon also reported an increase in "indoor fashion" category sales even though apparel sales overall had dropped. Companies that offer soft goods such as Wayfair and Williams-Sonoma have reported an uptick in furniture and soft-good sales since the pandemic started.
How do you envision technology impacting Textile Designers in the next 5 years?
Linda Manikowske Ph.D.: Technology has moved the apparel industry forward, at a fast pace, in recent years - from computer-aided design to retail analytics. Social media platforms are providing consumer data that retail companies can use to predict trends and be more efficient in getting the right product to consumers more efficiently.
Artificial intelligence is able to more accurately predict shopper behavior, while virtual reality technology allows shoppers to try a garment on an avatar before purchasing. A key to a firm's survival will be the ability to adapt to this new landscape. In the future, fashion and technology will continue to intersect to the betterment of both industries.