Also called: Costume Design Lead
Designs every outfit characters wear, using clothing to tell you who they are.
A costume designer reads the script, researches the era, and sketches designs for dozens of characters. They shop vintage stores, oversee fittings with actors, and approve every hat and button.
Approximate. Costume Designers Guild (Local 892) film/TV designers earn well; theater designers often earn far less per show.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. BFA/MFA in costume design or fashion; years as an assistant designer.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Costume Design, Fashion Design, Theater Design.
Growing about average. Steady across film, TV, and theater.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI mood boards and sketch tools speed early ideas; designing clothes that tell a character's story and leading fittings stays human.
Classes: Art, Sewing or fashion design CTE, History, Theater design.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1022.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.