Highest Paying Fashion Jobs

Fashion pays more than most people think, and designer isn't the only way in. Here are 15 roles, what each one does, and a rough salary range. Management and strategy jobs tend to pay best; creative and freelance roles often pay least, at least early on.

Salaries below are rounded US estimates and vary by city, employer and experience.

Creative and design roles

Fashion designer

Designers create clothing, shoes, bags and accessories, and are involved in every step: concept sketches, fabric choice, sample garments. Some work for a company; others build their own label. Famous names include Giorgio Armani, Coco Chanel and Donatella Versace.

Typical pay: about $45,000 to $57,000 a year.

Design director

The design director leads a team of designers and makes sure collections match both current trends and what customers want, while overseeing the technical decisions. Expect to need a master's degree or many years of experience in one product area.

Typical pay: about $95,000 to $125,000 a year.

Graphic designer

Fashion graphic designers make visuals: posters, lookbook layouts, ads, social graphics. They track color and trend shifts and work in tools like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop.

Typical pay: about $60,000 to $65,000 a year.

Creative director

The creative director leads the creative team and sets the look of a brand's campaigns, products and publications, working with the head designer, production team and art director. Strong project management and people skills matter as much as taste.

Typical pay: about $55,000 to $75,000 a year.

Art director

Art directors own the visual side of magazines, ad campaigns and brand content. They set the concept, direct whoever builds the layouts, and sign off on design, budgets and schedules. If you like working with lots of different people, you'll like this.

Typical pay: about $50,000 to $75,000 a year.

Styling, writing and media

Fashion stylist

Stylists choose clothes and accessories for clients, brands, shoots and publications. They go to fashion events to stay current and work with photographers, hairstylists and makeup artists. See our guide on how to become a fashion stylist.

Typical pay: about $30,000 to $45,000 a year.

Fashion photographer

Photographers shoot clothing and accessories for magazines, catalogs and ad campaigns, plus fashion films and model sessions. Technical skill is the baseline; knowing what's current is what makes the images feel fresh.

Typical pay: about $65,000 to $80,000 a year.

Fashion journalist

Journalists cover trends, shows and designers for magazines, websites and newspapers, and give informed, critical takes. Anna Wintour, Robin Givhan and Suzy Menkes are the best-known names. Read more in our piece on famous fashion journalists.

Typical pay: about $65,000 to $90,000 a year.

Content director

Content directors plan and run a company's content marketing across print, web, video and broadcast, and manage the team that researches, writes and produces it.

Typical pay: about $85,000 to $95,000 a year.

Fashion blogger or influencer

Bloggers and influencers cover trends and lifestyle, usually on Instagram or their own site. Starting is easy; making a living is hard. Once you've built a recognizable voice, brands may pay you to feature their collections.

Typical pay: about $30,000 to $45,000 a year, with huge variation.

Business and operations

Public relations manager

PR managers shape how a fashion brand is seen, through press events, media outreach and campaigns, and protect its reputation.

Typical pay: about $45,000 to $60,000 a year.

E-commerce manager

E-commerce managers run a brand's online store: sales figures, pricing, promotions, customer experience, even refunds. Online fashion keeps growing, especially at the high end.

Typical pay: about $50,000 to $65,000 a year.

Product manager

Product managers guide an item from idea to sale, using trend data to decide what to make and how to price it. Most employers want a business degree, and often a master's.

Typical pay: about $80,000 to $100,000 a year.

Sourcing manager

Sourcing managers find and manage suppliers so production stays on time and on budget. They compare vendors on price and quality, and the job usually involves overseas travel. Employers generally want a few years of purchasing experience.

Typical pay: about $70,000 to $95,000 a year.

Account executive

Account executives sell a brand's line to retailers and look after those accounts. You need to know the product cold and stay friendly and calm during showroom presentations.

Typical pay: about $55,000 to $70,000 a year.

Pick a role by what you enjoy doing day to day, then work backward to the degree or experience it needs.