Wardrobe supervisor vs costume director

The differences between wardrobe supervisors and costume directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a wardrobe supervisor and a costume director. Additionally, a costume director has an average salary of $49,595, which is higher than the $35,636 average annual salary of a wardrobe supervisor.

The top three skills for a wardrobe supervisor include costumes, costume changes and RAN. The most important skills for a costume director are costumes, , and .

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume director overview

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Director
Yearly salary	$35,636	$49,595
Hourly rate	$17.13	$23.84
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	901	4,565
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	12	12

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume director salary

Wardrobe supervisors and costume directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Director
Average salary	$35,636	$49,595
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $63,000	Between $24,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between wardrobe supervisor and costume director education

There are a few differences between a wardrobe supervisor and a costume director in terms of educational background:

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Theatre	Theatre
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume director demographics

Here are the differences between wardrobe supervisors' and costume directors' demographics:

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Director
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 16.6% Female, 83.4%	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between wardrobe supervisor and costume director duties and responsibilities

Wardrobe supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage costume quick changes for``Shakespeare in Hollywood".
Demonstrate special makeup and hair techniques for those less experience and handle costume emergencies during performances.
Supervise student production crews, control budget, purchase supplies, teach costume design, construction, and makeup.
Organize and meticulously move costumes to and from different sets/locations.
Manage costume quick changes for``Shakespeare in Hollywood".

Costume director example responsibilities.

Manage organize and document all wardrobe and accessories on and off set for lead actors, actresses, extras and models.
Design and draft technical sketches of dance costumes to create a well round line.
Design costumes, accessories, masks, millinery and wigs for use in modern plays and musicals.
Manage organize and document all wardrobe and accessories on and off set for lead actors, actresses, extras and models.
Work with the stitching staff to ensure design protocols are being follow.

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume director skills

Common wardrobe supervisor skills

Costumes, 40%
Costume Changes, 15%
RAN, 9%
RUN Sheets, 8%
Uniform Inventory, 7%
Wigs, 7%

Common costume director skills

Costumes, 100%

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse personal care and attendants jobs