Wardrobe supervisor vs costume specialist

The differences between wardrobe supervisors and costume specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a costume specialist has an average salary of $48,798, 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 specialist are costumes, outbound calls, and .

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume specialist overview

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Specialist
Yearly salary	$35,636	$48,798
Hourly rate	$17.13	$23.46
Growth rate	6%	-
Number of jobs	901	18,721
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	12	12

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume specialist salary

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

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Specialist
Average salary	$35,636	$48,798
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $63,000	Between $30,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between wardrobe supervisor and costume specialist education

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

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Theatre	Theatre
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume specialist demographics

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

	Wardrobe Supervisor	Costume Specialist
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 16.6% Female, 83.4%	Male, 40.4% Female, 59.6%
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, 10.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 5.6% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between wardrobe supervisor and costume specialist 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 specialist example responsibilities.

Manage FDA regulate products requirements for ISO2000 quality assurance.
Assist customers in finding costumes or decorations, coordinate inventory with the warehouse, clean and stock the storefront.
Assist the costume designer in choosing costumes for productions and relate activities - fittings, moving costumes to and from storage.
Determine program eligibility for Medicaid, food stamp and cash benefits in accordance with current regulations using the computer-based eligibility system.
Maintain department SharePoint site including site administration.

Wardrobe supervisor vs costume specialist skills

Common wardrobe supervisor skills

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

Common costume specialist skills

Costumes, 85%
Outbound Calls, 15%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Wardrobe Supervisor
Wardrobe Supervisor vs Costume Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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