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Fashion Designer
💰 Earn $54K-$108K
📚 Bachelor Degree
⏱️ 12–24 Month Training
📈 2% Job Growth
- Express creativity by designing unique clothing and accessories for fashion lovers.
- Influence global fashion trends and inspire personal style with your designs.
- Transform ideas into wearable art, blending innovation with craftsmanship.
What Fashion Designers DoDesign clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
- Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
- Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
- Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
- Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
- Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Fashion Designers Education, Salary, and GrowthOnly you can decide how much you need to earn — but knowing what it actually costs to live in your area can help. The Family Budget Calculator can guide you.
Minimum EducationBachelor Degree
Career ProspectsGood (Increasing by 1-5%)
Training Time1 to 2 years
Job Openings2,300 Annually
Median Earnings
$80,690 in California
$80,690 Nationally
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Real Talk Reel
We've curated a playlist for you to get a glimpse into a day in the life of this career.
Is This Career Right For You?
YOU Like
- Being creative or artistic
- Influencing or leading others
- Working with my hands
you value
- Accomplishing things
- Having freedom
- Job security
you are skilled in
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Social Perceptiveness
Go Deeper: Fashion Designers Explained
Fashion DesignerExplore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.
How Do You Train for This Career?
Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.
Associate's DegreeAn associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.
🎓 College
⏱️ Finish in 2-3 years
Bachelor's DegreeA bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.
🎓 College
⏱️ Finish in 4-5+ years
Vocational SchoolA vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.
🎓 Skills-Focused
⏱️ Finish in 6 months - 2 years
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What Is the Arts Media & Performance Industry?
Arts Media & PerformanceThe primary activities of this group involve creating, producing, and promoting artistic and cultural works, facilitating entertainment and sports-related activities, and sharing news and information to audiences through various media platforms.
Updated April 2026. Data sourced from O*NET and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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