How much can you Earn As A Fashion Designer?
Jd Institute
- October 2, 2022
- 6 min read
- Blogs

Average Fashion Designer Salaries in different Countries
Table of Contents
Fashion Designer Salary In India.
In India, the fashion world has truly come of age with several of our prized fashion designers gaining recognition the world over. Inspired by their success stories and their body of work, fashion designing as a profession has become much sought with Fashion Designer salaries being the center of attraction. Given the demand for courses and subsequently a certified/qualified fashion designer, lucrative offers are also being worked out by potential employers to rope in the best of talent.
- There are several factors that are considered by fashion houses and designers for assigning a certain pay scale for potential candidates.
Experience in the field is key and especially if you have a sizeable and varied portfolio to show off. Educational qualification or certification from a reputed institute is an important parameter but experience counts like no other. A sound qualification helps gain knowledge about the industry, terminology, theories, the works. It forms a solid base for the aspirant.
The city you are located in is an important factor for salary variations of a fashion designer. With a high cost of living in certain metros, the pay too needs to have parity and hence offers are higher than say in a 2 tier, or a non-metro city. A metro city like Delhi or Mumbai will have a greater demand for talent to expand and grow a business, and hence an attractive salary package with perks is usually included.

The fashion designing business requires people with several expertise – an apparel designer or an illustrator, pattern making, tailoring, marketing, or even a fashion columnist for a leading newspaper, magazine or just going freelance all have their expectations clearly cut out. Depending on the skillset and excellence displayed, and the specific job demand, salaries of a fashion designer are naturally negotiated accordingly.
For instance, an apparel designer can expect to earn an average annual income of Rs. 1,50,000 to Rs. 8,50,000. Whereas, Costume designers in films in fashion shows make up to Rs. 9,80,000. Someone with good communication can look at opportunities as a fashion columnist and expect to earn anywhere between Rs. 1,25,000 to Rs.7,25,000, annually.
Some recruiting websites in India, peg salaries of freshers at Rs.15,000 to Rs. 35,000 per month, depending on the brand (company) or label (fashion designer) they work for and in what position. Gaining experience is crucial and fresh graduates will find it useful to take up assistants’ positions to the chief designer or do an internship at a well-established fashion house and remain on a retainer earning basic amounts. Once experience is gained in a particular field, the starting salary in Fashion Design can fetch you up to Rs. 2 lakhs per month.
- The job opportunities can take an aspirant from India to some of the most exciting fashion destinations for growth and exposure opportunities, leave alone earning in dollars!
Fashion designers are in demand in the usual fashion capitals of the world like London, New York, and Paris which tops the list. Those that apply their talent and work with sincerity, and learn on the go will achieve appreciation and success, far exceeding their expectations.
Average Fashion Designer Salaries in London
£27,863, where Base Salary is GBP 20,000 – 49,000 per year, depending on seniority and experience. There are components like Bonus and Commission which get added to come up with the average salary per annum. You can join as a Fashion Designer, Senior Fashion Designer, or Adjunct Fashion Designer. PayGBP scales vary accordingly.
Average Fashion Designer Salaries in New York
USD $65,365 per year and the range falls between $53,275 and $80,079. Salary ranges vary depending on factors mentioned earlier like the city, education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years of work experience. However, the average salary for a fashion designer in New York is around $79,110 per year.
Average Fashion Designer Salaries in Paris
EUR 61,841 (Average Base Salary), per year where the average Bonus can be EUR 2,146, and an average hourly rate can be EUR2,973. It is predicted that the estimated salary of a Fashion Designer in Paris in 2027 will see a 15% increase to EUR 70,997 year.
Average Fashion Designer Salaries in Tokyo
Japanese Yen 60,272 per year; the average base salary range is Yen13,000 to Yen 7,00,000, depending again on experience in a number of years, education and certification, and specialization.
Average Fashion Designer Salaries in Milan
EUR 84.886 (average base salary) per year; average Bonus is EUR 3.896 per year; and the average hourly rate is EUR 40,81 per hour for a Fashion Designer for Women’s fashion clothing. A fresher in Milan with 1 to 3 years of work experience can earn an average salary of EUR of 59.361. Whereas, a senior level Fashion Designer with over 8 years of experience commands an average salary of EUR 105.348.

So, what makes these cities the fashion capitals of the world as such? Historically speaking it has always been London, Paris, New York, and Milan too. Fashion emanated and emanates from these three big cities. These cities have had a great influence on the world of fashion and qualify so because of the presence of the biggest fashion brands located there, the big names in fashion the celebrity fashion designers will have their retail outlets and production units within the cities; influential fashion magazines to are in circulation there.
These cities host the biggest Fashion Week events, that showcase the newest trends and high fashion creations and hold exhibitions, award shows, and trade fairs related to the fashion industry. These cities have inspired schools that have taught budding designers to excel, and consumers that are fashion conscious and embrace the ‘new’ with ease. These are entire ecosystems that fuel the fashion industry. No wonder then that they are acclaimed fashion capitals of the world.
However, there are these emerging markets vying for space at the top of the fashion world, and these are from regions like India, Japan, the USA, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Australia, and countries that continue to influence fashion and fashion designing salaries, noticeably.