Apparel Designer Salary in the United States

How much does an Apparel Designer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Apparel Designer in the United States is $79,190 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

However, an Apparel Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $94,921
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $71,140 to $87,424
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $63,811
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View as table View as graph 25% $71,140 10% $63,811 90% $94,921 75% $87,424 $79,190 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Apparel Designer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $87,424 $7,285 $1,681 $42
Average $79,190 $6,599 $1,523 $38
25th Percentile $71,140 $5,928 $1,368 $34
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Key Factors That Influence Apparel Designer Salaries

An Apparel 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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Apparel Designer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Apparel 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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $74,630
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $74,889
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $78,046
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $81,248
  • Expert (over 8 years): $81,477
Levels Salary
Entry Level Apparel Designer$74,630
Intermediate Level Apparel Designer$74,889
Senior Level Apparel Designer$78,046
Specialist Level Apparel Designer$81,248
Expert Level Apparel Designer$81,477
$74,630 0 yr
$74,889 < 2 yrs
$78,046 2-4 yrs
$81,248 5-8 yrs
$81,477 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Apparel Designers

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: $99,882
  • San Francisco: $98,900
  • Oakland: $96,706

What Skills Can Increase an Apparel Designer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Products and Services (Mentioned in 6.91% Job Postings): Knowledge of the full array of our organization's products and services including those that are created for internal customers; insight into the differentiating factors that distinguish them from those of competitors.
  • Photoshop (Mentioned in 1.9% Job Postings): Photoshop is an image creation, graphic design and photo editing software developed by Adobe. It is used to demonstrate knowledge of image resolution, image size, and image file format for web, video, and print.
  • Interior Design (Mentioned in 1.38% Job Postings): Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordinates, and manages such projects. Interior design is a multifaceted profession that includes conceptual development, space planning, site inspections, programming, research, communicating with the stakeholders of a project, construction management, and execution of the design.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Products and Services 6.91%
Photoshop 1.9%
Interior Design 1.38%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
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 an Apparel Designer's salary.
  • Cold Calling: Can increase your salary by up to 24%.
  • Product Development: Can increase your salary by up to 23%.
  • Illustrator: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Cold Calling
 $98,195
24%
Product Development
 $97,403
23%
Illustrator
 $95,820
21%
Photoshop
 $95,028
20%
Adobe
 $95,028
20%
Conceptual Design
 $94,236
19%
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Apparel Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Apparel 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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on January 01, 2026
$71,140
Average $79,190/year
$87,424
$5,928
Average $6,599/month
$7,285
$1,368
Average $1,523/week
$1,681
$34
Average $38/hour
$42
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $87,424 $7,285 $1,681 $42
Average $79,190 $6,599 $1,523 $38
25th Percentile $71,140 $5,928 $1,368 $34

Salaries of jobs related to Apparel Designer

Salary Trends for Apparel Designer

Salaries for an Apparel Designer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $74,393 in 2023 to around $74,218 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Apparel Designer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Apparel Designer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$74,393
2024
$74,831
2025
$74,218
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $74,393
2024 $74,831
2025 $74,218
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Apparel Designer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Apparel Designer

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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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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