Art and Design Workers

How to become a Fashion Designer

Official title: Fashion Designers

Also called: Apparel and Accessories Designer, Apparel Designer, Costume Designer, Designer, Fashion Design Contractor, Fashion Designer, Fashion Graphic Designer, Fashion Stylist, Handbag Designer, Product Developer

Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

Main tasks

Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.

How to become one

Fashion designers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. Employers may prefer to hire creative candidates who have technical knowledge of the production processes for clothing, accessories, or footwear.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Fur Designer.
College: Creative Arts & Design degrees, Offered by 32 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $80,960 a year The middle half earn $51,940 to $106,470.
About 32,700 people work in this job now, and about 32,800 are projected by 2035. (+0.1%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Fashion Designer?

How much does a Fashion Designer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $80,960 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $51,940 to $106,470.

Is a Fashion Designer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 32,700 people now and 32,800 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Fashion Designer?

Usually. 69% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Fashion Designer?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.