Career Paths in Fashion and Apparel

Fashion Design Production/Sourcing Sales/Marketing/

Merchandising

High- Level

Head Apparel Designer

Creative Director

Sourcing Manager

Product (Line) Manager

Production (Plant) Manager wage range: $30.51 → $72.12

Purchasing Manager wage range: $26.35 → $82.30

Marketing Specialist wage range: $19.18 → $66.88

Sales Manager wage range: $33.78 → $124.13

Store/Boutique Manager

Mid- Level

Fashion (Apparel) Designer wage range per hour: $14.54 → $54.01

Technical Designer

Production Planner/Logistician wage range: $26.52 → $57.59

Production Supervisor wage range: $18.07 → $43.31

Retail Merchandiser Wholesale/Retail Buyer wage range: $18.85 → $57.68

Retail Supervisor wage range: $13.96 → $34.35

Lower-

Level

Assistant Designer

Tailor/Dressmaker wage range: $15.07 → $24.31

Costume Attendant wage range: $9.58 → $22.33

Production Assistant/Coordinator

Patternmaker wage range: $12.16 → $26.61

Assistant Buyer

Merchandise Displayer or Window Trimmer wage range: $12.33 → $23.65

Starting Points

Degree in fashion/apparel Sewing experience Internship

Degree in apparel, merchandising, design, marketing, business

Internship Spreader/cutter work experience

Internship Degree in apparel, design,

merchandising, marketing, business

Retail sales or stock room experience

Wages from EMSI Analyst Employment and Wage data

Fashion and Apparel Trends

After quietly growing for decades, the Seattle area’s fashion and apparel industry is emerging as a field of opportunities. Nordstrom, REI, Eddie Bauer, Filson, Tommy Bahama, Shah Safari and others have grown from local Seattle businesses to worldwide brands. Many local fashion designers are internationally acclaimed, attracting a broad clientele to Seattle for custom designs or contributing styles that are mass produced throughout the world. Seattle is currently fourth—behind New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco—in its concentration of fashion designers. Washington state has over 1,500 fashion and apparel firms, 63% of which are in King County. More than 3,000 others are “non-employer firms” representing self-employed individuals, primarily independent clothing sellers, manufacturers and wholesalers. Statewide, design, manufacturing, wholesale and headquarter segments of the industry generate a total of $6.7 billion in revenues, 17,230 jobs and nearly $800 million in labor income. Forecasts indicate that the fashion and apparel industry is expected to grow in the short term. In particular, fashion designers—one of the few fashion occupations paying more than the state average—are forecast to grow by 6.3% from 2013 to 2020. This is still a small number; about 20 annual statewide job openings for fashion designers are projected. Due to increases in international labor costs and higher demand for higher-quality, locally produced apparel, industry leaders speculate that sewing occupation jobs will grow in the future (typically lower-paying jobs). Local business owners also indicated that demand for management, product development and sourcing jobs will grow. Sourcing is key to production, involving working with plants and contractors, determining product specifications and negotiating contracts. Another strength of Washington’s fashion industry is the concentration of training programs. Washington State University leads with its industry research and bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textiles. Seattle-area training providers include Seattle Central Community College, Seattle Art Institute and the International Academy of Design and Technology.

Wages

Fashion designers and logisticians top the pay scale at more than $66,000 annual average income. Most fashion and apparel occupations pay below the state average wage ($49,212 in second quarter of 2012). Production occupations such as sewers make less than $30,000 annually. Retail clerks account for a significant portion of retail jobs, and they make an average of $29,856 annually in King County.

Further Information

For more information about these and other occupations, including wages, training programs, employment projections, and job links, see: www.workforceexplorer.com (click on the “looking for” drop-down box, then on “wage information” or “occupations in demand”) www.careerbridge.wa.gov www.mapyourcareer.org

Data sources: 2010 Washington State Fashion and Apparel Industry Cluster Study prepared by Community Attributes on behalf of enterpriseSeattle, co-sponsored by the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County and other partners; Occupational Employment and Wage estimates, Employment Security Department; EMSI Analyst Employment and Wages data