Headline risk
23%
Moderate RiskFashion designers
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 8% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 80,690
Employment 2024
25.7K
Projected Change (2024–34)
2.0%
Openings (2024–34)
2.3K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of fashion designers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements. AI use: 0%
- 2. Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects. AI use: 0%
- 3. Select materials and production techniques to be used for products. AI use: 0%
- 4. Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows. AI use: 0%
- 5. Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs. AI use: 0%
- 6. Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 42.4 · 379K employed
Under 25: 6% · 25–54: 73% · 55+: 21%
Related
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Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Fashion designers create clothing, accessories, and footwear.
Fashion designers work in wholesale or manufacturing establishments, apparel companies, retailers, theater or dance companies, and design firms. Most fashion designers work in New York and California.
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.
The median annual wage for fashion designers was $80,690 in May 2024.
Employment of fashion designers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.