Apparel Associate Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Apparel Associate in the United States is $59,964 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $69,734
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,634 to $65,078
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $49,782
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered HR
Recruit with AI
View as table View as graph 25% $54,634 10% $49,782 90% $69,734 75% $65,078 $59,964 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Apparel Associate Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $65,078 $5,423 $1,251 $31
Average $59,964 $4,997 $1,153 $29
25th Percentile $54,634 $4,553 $1,051 $26
Check out Apparel Associate Job Openings in the United States
Attorney

Silverman Law Office, PLLC - BIG TIMBER, MT

Associate Dentist

Great Blue Dental, LLC - MARINETTE, WI

Associate Attorney

Luther-Anderson, PLLP - CHATTANOOGA, TN

Associate Dentist

Sutton Dental Arts, PC - ROSEBURG, OR

Search More Apparel Associate Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Apparel Associate Salaries

An Apparel Associate'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 Associate Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Apparel Associate'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): $59,182
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $59,738
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $60,866
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $61,092
  • Expert (over 8 years): $61,242
Levels Salary
Entry Level Apparel Associate$59,182
Intermediate Level Apparel Associate$59,738
Senior Level Apparel Associate$60,866
Specialist Level Apparel Associate$61,092
Expert Level Apparel Associate$61,242
$59,182 0 yr
$59,738 < 2 yrs
$60,866 2-4 yrs
$61,092 5-8 yrs
$61,242 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Apparel Associate 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 Apparel Associates. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $66,392.
  • California: $66,140.
  • Massachusetts: $65,259.

Top Paying Cities for Apparel Associates

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: $75,632
  • San Francisco: $74,889
  • Oakland: $73,228

What Skills Can Increase an Apparel Associate's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Products and Services (Mentioned in 6.87% 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 2% 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.
  • Illustrator (Mentioned in 1.37% Job Postings): Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and design program developed and marketed by Adobe Inc. Originally designed for the Apple Macintosh, development of Adobe Illustrator began in 1985. Along with Creative Cloud, Illustrator CC was released.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Products and Services 6.87%
Photoshop 2%
Illustrator 1.37%
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 Associate's salary.
  • Adobe: Can increase your salary by up to 26%.
  • Photoshop: Can increase your salary by up to 23%.
  • Adobe Creative Suite: Can increase your salary by up to 23%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Adobe
$75,554
26%
Photoshop
$73,755
23%
Adobe Creative Suite
$73,755
23%
Illustrator
$73,156
22%
Product Development
$73,156
22%
AutoCAD
$72,556
21%
Get Latest Data

Apparel Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Apparel Associate'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.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Apparel Associate

Salaries for an Apparel Associate can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $60,998 in 2023 to around $60,412 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Apparel Associate salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Apparel Associate Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$60,998
2024
$61,067
2025
$60,412
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $60,998
2024 $61,067
2025 $60,412
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Apparel Associate

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Apparel Associate

Here are companies hiring for Apparel Associate and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Apparel Associate Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Apparel Associate job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst