As of April 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Costume Designer in the US is $70,492, equivalent to $34 per hour, $1,356 weekly, or $5,874 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Costume Designer in cities like Santa Clara, San Jose, and Fremont.

Annually Salaries for Costume Designer in the US vary widely, spanning from $57,753 to $83,254. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($63,824) and 75th percentile ($77,172), while top earners (90th percentile) make $83,254 per year. This $13,348 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Collaboration or Product Development, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, District of Columbia Costume Designer often earn 10.7% above national averages due to demand from Fortune 22 companies and industry startups. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Costume Designer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Costume Designer Salary $57,753 US April 01, 2026
25th Percentile Costume Designer Salary $63,824 US April 01, 2026
50th Percentile Costume Designer Salary $70,492 US April 01, 2026
75th Percentile Costume Designer Salary $77,172 US April 01, 2026
90th Percentile Costume Designer Salary $83,254 US April 01, 2026
25% $63,824 10% $57,753 90% $83,254 75% $77,172 $70,492 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is a Costume Designer ?

A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits/costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume designer works alongside the director, scenic, lighting designer, sound designer, and other creative personnel. The costume designer may also collaborate with hair stylist, wig master, or makeup artist. In European theatre, the role is different, as the theatre designer usually designs both costume and scenic elements. Designers typically seek to enhance a...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/17/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Costume Designer.

Job Openings for Costume Designer

Career Path for this job

  1. This Job:

    Costume Designer

    0 - 2 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. Up a level:

    Industrial Designer II

    2 - 4 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Costume Designer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
63824
77172
70492

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
70432
86682
77356
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Costume Designer in the United States. The base salary for Costume Designer ranges from $63,824 to $77,172 with the average base salary of $70,492. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $70,432 to $86,682 with the average total cash compensation of $77,356.

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63824
77172

 

Skills associated with Costume Designer: Design

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