How much does a Clothes Designer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Clothes Designer in the United States is $36,945 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.
However, a Clothes Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $45,159
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $32,649 to $41,244
Key Factors That Influence Clothes Designer Salaries
A Clothes Designer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Clothes Designer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Clothes Designer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Clothes Designer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Clothes Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $46,599
San Francisco: $46,089
Oakland: $45,118
San Jose, CA$46,599
San Francisco, CA$46,089
Oakland, CA$45,118
New York, NY$42,538
Paramus, NJ$42,021
Queens Village, NY$42,019
Passaic, NJ$41,984
Bergenfield, NJ$41,981
Stamford, CT$41,900
Huntington, NY$41,885
Newark, NJ$41,611
Bridgeport, CT$41,534
Vallejo, CA$41,460
New Brunswick, NJ$41,445
Petaluma, CA$41,423
Middlesex, NJ$41,353
Somerset, NJ$41,327
Santa Cruz, CA$41,279
Boston, MA$41,054
Monterey, CA$40,924
Seattle, WA$40,839
Santa Rosa, CA$40,832
Los Angeles, CA$40,821
Juneau, AK$40,725
Washington, DC$40,684
Orange, CA$40,553
Santa Ana, CA$40,455
Long Beach, CA$40,418
Anaheim, CA$40,411
Anchorage, AK$40,392
Santa Maria, CA$40,281
Everett, WA$40,274
Danbury, CT$40,144
Bremerton, WA$40,093
Tacoma, WA$39,960
New Suffolk, NY$39,959
Sacramento, CA$39,949
Santa Barbara, CA$39,908
Trenton, NJ$39,868
San Diego, CA$39,868
Brockton, MA$39,827
Fairbanks, AK$39,737
Lompoc, CA$39,642
Lowell, MA$39,612
Ventura, CA$39,605
Nashua, NH$39,598
Stockton, CA$39,594
Modesto, CA$39,325
Poughkeepsie, NY$39,243
Olympia, WA$39,173
Kennewick, WA$39,173
New Haven, CT$39,158
Lawrence, MA$39,025
Hartford, CT$38,988
Riverside, CA$38,981
New Bedford, MA$38,944
Richland, WA$38,944
Bakersfield, CA$38,892
San Bernardino, CA$38,878
New Britain, CT$38,874
Atlantic City, NJ$38,874
New London, CT$38,859
Norwich, CT$38,848
Portsmouth, NH$38,841
Boulder, CO$38,762
Portland, OR$38,711
Worcester, MA$38,708
Minneapolis, MN$38,593
Philadelphia, PA$38,541
Honolulu, HI$38,419
Saint Paul, MN$38,402
Vineland, NJ$38,394
Providence, RI$38,286
Chicago, IL$38,179
Bellingham, WA$38,135
Springfield, MA$38,105
Baltimore, MD$38,094
Chico, CA$38,002
Pittsfield, MA$37,902
Manchester, NH$37,832
Spokane, WA$37,669
Denver, CO$37,666
Albany, NY$37,492
Troy, NY$37,477
Nassau, NY$37,438
Schenectady, NY$37,400
Wilmington, DE$37,370
Burlington, VT$37,318
Salem, OR$37,304
Portland, ME$37,189
Yakima, WA$37,152
Rochester, MN$37,038
Reno, NV$37,019
Fresno, CA$37,019
Milwaukee, WI$36,986
Detroit, MI$36,949
Ann Arbor, MI$36,943
Allentown, PA$36,938
Colorado Springs, CO$36,875
Syracuse, NY$36,857
Carson City, NV$36,857
Houston, TX$36,805
Eugene, OR$36,786
Gary, IN$36,742
Springfield, OR$36,713
Bismarck, ND$36,705
Galveston, TX$36,679
Medford, OR$36,624
Fort Collins, CO$36,609
Concord, NH$36,591
Austin, TX$36,580
Mesa, AZ$36,502
Reading, PA$36,498
Phoenix, AZ$36,495
Dallas, TX$36,483
Saint Cloud, MN$36,448
Madison, WI$36,399
Utica, NY$36,299
Rochester, NY$36,240
Des Moines, IA$36,236
Raleigh, NC$36,232
Atlanta, GA$36,177
Battle Creek, MI$36,166
Salt Lake City, UT$36,155
Lancaster, PA$36,099
Harrisburg, PA$36,048
Kansas City, MO$36,011
Champaign, IL$36,003
Kansas City, KS$36,003
Fort Worth, TX$36,000
Columbus, OH$35,993
Boca Raton, FL$35,985
Pittsburgh, PA$35,970
Richmond, VA$35,955
Indianapolis, IN$35,948
Cleveland, OH$35,944
Las Vegas, NV$35,900
Cincinnati, OH$35,900
Petersburg, VA$35,844
Huntsville, AL$35,789
Lansing, MI$35,764
Lebanon, PA$35,759
Pueblo, CO$35,756
Appleton, WI$35,745
Buffalo, NY$35,730
Dayton, OH$35,719
Racine, WI$35,711
Charlotte, NC$35,708
Saint Louis, MO$35,697
York, PA$35,674
Elkhart, IN$35,674
Gastonia, NC$35,667
Billings, MT$35,658
Beaumont, TX$35,649
Lorain, OH$35,641
Benton Harbor, MI$35,634
Toledo, OH$35,626
Binghamton, NY$35,608
Rock Hill, SC$35,604
Rockford, IL$35,586
Springfield, IL$35,571
Elyria, OH$35,567
Fargo, ND$35,567
Flagstaff, AZ$35,541
Fort Lauderdale, FL$35,519
Duluth, MN$35,497
Miami, FL$35,497
Cheyenne, WY$35,471
Grand Forks, ND$35,471
Bangor, ME$35,390
Cedar Rapids, IA$35,349
Durham, NC$35,334
Louisville, KY$35,331
Grand Rapids, MI$35,323
Hialeah, FL$35,320
Casper, WY$35,268
Scranton, PA$35,224
New Orleans, LA$35,213
Virginia Beach, VA$35,209
Akron, OH$35,190
Peoria, IL$35,142
Sarasota, FL$35,135
Nashville, TN$35,109
Omaha, NE$35,109
Green Bay, WI$35,109
Baton Rouge, LA$35,091
Charleston, SC$35,083
Jamestown, NY$35,065
Davenport, IA$35,065
Tucson, AZ$35,046
Saint Petersburg, FL$35,024
Tampa, FL$35,017
Evansville, IN$34,995
Port Arthur, TX$34,995
Bradenton, FL$34,980
Santa Fe, NM$34,913
Orlando, FL$34,847
Clearwater, FL$34,836
Canton, OH$34,758
La Crosse, WI$34,758
Albuquerque, NM$34,736
Newport News, VA$34,732
High Point, NC$34,721
Ogden, UT$34,706
Corpus Christi, TX$34,677
Norfolk, VA$34,655
Laramie, WY$34,655
Rock Island, IL$34,633
Saginaw, MI$34,625
Jacksonville, FL$34,621
Salisbury, NC$34,614
Boise, ID$34,607
Moline, IL$34,588
Fort Myers, FL$34,577
Memphis, TN$34,570
Tulsa, OK$34,551
Waterloo, IA$34,529
Spartanburg, SC$34,492
Lincoln, NE$34,474
Fort Wayne, IN$34,466
Provo, UT$34,463
Cedar Falls, IA$34,418
San Antonio, TX$34,403
Greensboro, NC$34,389
South Bend, IN$34,385
Savannah, GA$34,344
Muskegon, MI$34,330
Birmingham, AL$34,326
Winston Salem, NC$34,308
Lake Charles, LA$34,219
Anderson, IN$34,211
Lexington, KY$34,200
Augusta, GA$34,189
Greenville, SC$34,189
Lima, OH$34,160
Wichita, KS$34,156
Tuscaloosa, AL$34,156
Columbia, SC$34,123
Springfield, OH$34,115
Asheville, NC$34,056
Bloomington, IN$34,030
Knoxville, TN$33,897
Shreveport, LA$33,894
Wilmington, NC$33,846
Roanoke, VA$33,846
Topeka, KS$33,779
Frankfort, KY$33,775
Oklahoma City, OK$33,750
Chillicothe, OH$33,735
Longview, TX$33,731
Melbourne, FL$33,727
Sioux Falls, SD$33,668
Mobile, AL$33,665
Terre Haute, IN$33,650
Altoona, PA$33,628
Amarillo, TX$33,602
Killeen, TX$33,591
Fayetteville, AR$33,561
Chattanooga, TN$33,550
Sioux City, IA$33,517
Idaho Falls, ID$33,509
Lynchburg, VA$33,480
Gainesville, FL$33,432
Portsmouth, OH$33,413
Little Rock, AR$33,406
Lafayette, LA$33,391
Youngstown, OH$33,391
Daytona Beach, FL$33,369
Clarksville, TN$33,365
Pensacola, FL$33,362
Temple, TX$33,359
Hopkinsville, KY$33,251
Erie, PA$33,243
Florence, SC$33,229
Charleston, WV$33,169
Great Falls, MT$33,151
Macon, GA$33,099
Tallahassee, FL$33,096
Fayetteville, NC$33,088
Waco, TX$33,081
Helena, MT$33,055
Pine Bluff, AR$33,041
Vincennes, IN$32,996
Lubbock, TX$32,981
Alamogordo, NM$32,959
Twin Falls, ID$32,926
Rapid City, SD$32,915
Jackson, MS$32,848
Huntington, WV$32,845
Greenville, MS$32,844
Parkersburg, WV$32,807
Montgomery, AL$32,800
Wichita Falls, TX$32,763
Springfield, MO$32,763
Biloxi, MS$32,745
Monroe, LA$32,708
Johnstown, PA$32,682
Sumter, SC$32,667
Columbus, GA$32,663
Pascagoula, MS$32,593
Abilene, TX$32,593
Kingsport, TN$32,497
Albany, GA$32,497
Gulfport, MS$32,486
Alexandria, LA$32,364
Fort Smith, AR$32,272
El Paso, TX$32,172
Las Cruces, NM$32,006
Harlingen, TX$31,912
Pocatello, ID$31,906
Florence, AL$31,858
Brownsville, TX$31,851
Mcallen, TX$31,773
Dothan, AL$31,721
Columbus, MS$31,502
Altus, OK$31,330
Lawton, OK$31,259
Pierre, SD$31,126
What Skills Can Increase a Clothes Designer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Teamwork (Mentioned in 30.26% Job Postings): Teamwork is a skill consist of interrelated abilities that let you work effectively in an organized group. Teamwork skills are vital to employers, as teams are a basic organizational unit within many companies.
Work Ethic (Mentioned in 1.87% Job Postings): A belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. A set of values centered on importance of work and manifested by determination or desire to work hard.
Inventory Management (Mentioned in 0.85% Job Postings): Overseeing and controlling supplies and stock to ensure that an organization maintains an adequate stock quantity.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Clothes Designer's salary.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Interviewing: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Talent Acquisition: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Clothes Designer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Clothes Designer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Retail & Wholesale and MFG Nondurable
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Clothes Designer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or MFG Durable typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Clothes Designer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Clothes Designer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Retail & Wholesale
$48,029
$23.0
30%
MFG Nondurable
$40,640
$20.0
10%
How Education impacts a Clothes Designer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Clothes Designers enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Clothes Designer with a No Diploma is between
$39,768
and $43,591).
Clothes Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Clothes Designer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Salaries for a Clothes Designer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $30,484 in 2023
to around $30,581 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Clothes Designer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Clothes Designer Over Time
$???
$30,484
$30,815
$30,581
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$30,484
2024
$30,815
2025
$30,581
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Clothes Designer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Clothes Designer
Here are companies hiring for Clothes Designer and their salaries, click below for more details.
S$57,183/per year
Subway IP LLCHospitality & Leisurethe United States
K$49,677/per year
KesemHospitality & Leisurethe United States
C$49,562/per year
Chili's Grill & BarHospitality & Leisurethe United States
I$49,371/per year
Inspire Brands IncHospitality & Leisurethe United States
C$49,286/per year
Compass Group North AmericaHospitality & Leisurethe United States
R$49,245/per year
RotiHospitality & Leisurethe United States
H$47,974/per year
Henn Na Hotel New YorkHospitality & Leisurethe United States
C$47,736/per year
Centennial Soccer Club IncHospitality & Leisurethe United States
R$47,307/per year
Raising Restaurants LLCHospitality & Leisurethe United States
D$46,626/per year
Darden Concepts IncHospitality & Leisurethe United States
P$45,430/per year
Paul CaffeHospitality & Leisurethe United States
N$45,191/per year
Numatec IncHospitality & Leisurethe United States
T$44,620/per year
The Lost Explorer MezcalHospitality & Leisurethe United States
B$43,911/per year
Bunker Hills Event CenterHospitality & Leisurethe United States
M$42,738/per year
MichealsHospitality & Leisurethe United States
F$42,556/per year
FA SelangorHospitality & Leisurethe United States
G$41,529/per year
Golden B EnterprisesHospitality & Leisurethe United States
G$41,484/per year
GNCC RacingHospitality & Leisurethe United States
T$40,926/per year
Tasty Restaurant Group LLCHospitality & Leisurethe United States
N$40,605/per year
nhl.com/predatorsHospitality & Leisurethe United States
W$39,699/per year
West SpartanburgHospitality & Leisurethe United States
N$38,510/per year
Northeast Nebraska Track and FieldHospitality & Leisurethe United States
B$38,475/per year
BattinoHospitality & Leisurethe United States
C$38,262/per year
Crofton Park TavernHospitality & Leisurethe United States
C$35,814/per year
Cherokee Nation Entertainment LLCHospitality & Leisurethe United States
Find Your Next Clothes Designer Job
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Clothes Designer job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
For Employees
Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.
Get a Salary Increase
Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.
Search Job Openings
For Employers
Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.
Adjust Employee Salary
Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.
Price My Industry Jobs
FAQ about Clothes Designer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Clothes Designer?
The Retail & Wholesale industry offers the highest average compensation for Clothes Designer roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
