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Fashion designer salary in New York

Updated November 1, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$98,640median pay per year in New York, or $47.42 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $62,610lowest 10% earn less
  2. $76,37025th percentile
  3. $98,640median
  4. $131,37075th percentile
  5. $177,430top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $80,960[3]

The median pay for fashion designers in New York was $98,640 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $17,680 above the US median[6].

Jobs in NY
5,760[4]
Rank by median pay
4 of 23[5]
Compared with US median
+21.8%[6]

How much do fashion designers make in New York?

The median is the middle of the pay range. Half of the fashion designers in New York earned more than $98,640 a year, which works out to $47.42 an hour, and half earned less[1]. The average was higher at $111,740[7]. The US median for this job was $80,960, so New York came out $17,680 (21.8%) higher[3][6]. New York had the 4th highest median among the 23 states with a published figure[5]. Compared with all jobs in the state, fashion designers earned $38,970 more than the all-occupation median of $59,670[8][9].

At the low end, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $62,610[2]. At the high end, the top-paid 10% earned more than $177,430[2]. The middle half of fashion designers earned between $76,370 and $131,370[2].

Among metro areas, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area had a median of $99,560 and about 5,540 jobs[10]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. OEWS leaves out the self-employed and business owners. It also leaves out bonuses that are not part of regular production pay, and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[11].

New York vs US pay

Pay for fashion designers in New York next to the national figures[1][3].

NYUS
Median per year$98,640[1]$80,960[3]
Median per hour$47.42[1]$38.92[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$62,610[2]$39,490[12]
Top 10% earn more than$177,430[2]$146,870[12]
Jobs5,760[4]21,450[3]

Pay by metro area in New York

Metro areas in New York with the most jobs for fashion designers, and the median pay in each[10]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ[10]$99,5605,540

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for fashion designers in the states that border New York, highest first[13].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[13]$103,520540
New Jersey$101,610160
Connecticut$81,51050
Vermont$79,61060
Pennsylvania$63,840320

Median pay for fashion designers in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for fashion designers are projected to grow 0.1% from 2025 to 2035[14]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: bachelor's degree[15].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fashion designer make in New York?
The median wage for fashion designers in New York was $98,640 a year in May 2025, and the average was $111,740[1][7].
How much does a fashion designer make an hour in New York?
The median hourly wage was $47.42[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $30.10 an hour and the top-paid 10% earned more than $85.30[2][16].
Which city in New York pays fashion designers the most?
The New York-Newark-Jersey City area is the metro listed, with a median of $99,560 and about 5,540 jobs[10].
Is New York a good state for fashion designers?
New York had the 4th highest median pay for this job among the 23 states with a published median[5]. Its median was 21.8% above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a fashion designer in New York?
This is a US figure, not a New York one. Across the US, the typical education needed for entry is a bachelor's degree, with no related work experience and no on-the-job training[15].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Fashion Designers in New York was $98,640 per year and $47.42 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Fashion Designers in New York: 10th percentile $62,610, 25th percentile $76,370, 75th percentile $131,370, 90th percentile $177,430. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Fashion Designers in the US as a whole was $80,960 per year and $38.92 per hour, with about 21,450 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 5,760 people worked as Fashion Designers in New York (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: New York had the 4th highest median annual wage for Fashion Designers out of the 23 states with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Fashion Designers in New York ($98,640) was $17,680 (21.8%) higher than the US median ($80,960). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Fashion Designers in New York was $111,740 per year and $53.72 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in New York was $59,670. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Fashion Designers in New York was $38,970 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($59,670). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Fashion Designers in the US: 10th percentile $39,490, 25th percentile $51,940, 75th percentile $106,470, 90th percentile $146,870. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Fashion Designers in states that border New York (highest first): Massachusetts $103,520; New Jersey $101,610; Connecticut $81,510; Vermont $79,610; Pennsylvania $63,840. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Fashion Designers is projected to grow 0.1% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,500 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Fashion Designers: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Fashion Designers in New York: 10th percentile $30.10, 25th percentile $36.72, 75th percentile $63.16, 90th percentile $85.30. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only New York. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.