How to Research Salary Ranges and Benefits for a Fashion Designer

Fashion designers create the designs for clothing and accessories. Most begin by working as low-paid assistants for several years; many leave the field due to poor opportunities for advancement. Average annual salaries range from approximately $14,000 to well over $50,000, the latter paid to few designers.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fashion Magazines And Newspapers
• Internet Access
• Career Counseling
• Computers

1. Remember that the major employers of fashion designers are located in New York and, to a lesser extent, Los Angeles. Both cities are among the most expensive in the country.

2. Contact the career counseling offices of fashion design schools in New York and Los Angeles to get an idea of what current starting salaries are for graduates with at least an A.A. degree.

3. Expect to graduate from a fashion design college if you want to find any work as a fashion designer.

4. Search through Women's Wear Daily and other fashion publications and make a list of well-established design houses. Try to get informational interviews, via phone if necessary, with the individuals there who hire new designers.

5. Download fashion Web sites daily, which you can find by searching the Web with a search engine like Yahoo! or Google, to keep current with the industry. Some sites also list available fashion design jobs.

Tips & Warnings

• Realize you may need to get a second job to pay your bills during the early years in this career.
• Keep in mind that very few designers achieve the financial status of superstars such as Georgio Armani, Ralph Lauren or Donna Karan.