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Fashion designer salary in United States (Updated 2026)

How much does a Fashion Designer make in the United States?

Average base salary

$27.28

Average $27.28

Low $14.14

High $52.63

The average salary for a fashion designer is $27.28 per hour in the United States. 219 salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months (updated July 2, 2026).

What Does a Fashion Designer Do?

Here are some of the primary duties of a fashion designer:Source inspirationFashion designers control the artistic direction of a fashion collection. A collection is a group of products that shares similar design elements. Before starting the design process, designers conduct market research, monitor trends and determine ways to meet customer interests and demands.They may consult sales or retail team members and research their competitors, or review the trends in magazines and fashion blogs. The designers also create style boards and collect visuals to use as inspiration.Sketch designsFashion designers sketch designs to visualize new ideas for clothing pieces. They can create these designs both digitally and on paper. Sketches typically include a two-dimensional representation of a model or figure drawing, both front and back, with the article of clothing drawn on them. Production teams then use these designs as a guide to create the final product.Designers label their sketches with elements like colors, textures and fabrics to communicate their ideas to the construction designers. To create these sketches, designers use extensive knowledge of fashion elements, sewing techniques, materials and colors.Source materialsDesigners source the materials for their designs, which may include patterned fabric, metals or leather. They meet with vendors to determine which materials create the best visual effects.Designers consider cost, quantity and quality when choosing materials. For example, if they're designing for a company that creates large amounts of inventory, they may want to use a fabric their vendors can reproduce quickly, affordably and in large quantities. If they're designing for a luxury brand, they may have more options for higher-quality fabric.Oversee productionAfter designing the clothes, fashion designers collaborate with pattern makers to create the templates for production. Factories and sewers use patterns as guides to recreate each garment in the same way when cutting and sewing fabric.Present to buyersFashion designers present their designs, often in a fashion show, to retailers, fashion buyers, wholesalers and customers to encourage them to purchase their products or sell them in their stores. Designers control the artistic direction of the fashion show, consulting on the location, model casting and styling to best present their garments to potential buyers.

Learn more about what a Fashion Designer does