I want to become a fashion designer but I want a high salary?

Jayda Malcolm: I want to become a fashion designer but I want a high salary?
Do you have to go to college to become a fashion designer? How do you start your own fashion business? What if I don’t start my own business, what other fashion related jobs can I get with a high salary? I am basically looking for a high paying salary with a job relating to my interest, fashion.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Vi
First of all, high salary is relative to each person so I’m not sure if I can give you an answer you will like because I don’t know what you consider high. You can make 80k, possibly more, once you become a head designer, but that would be for a large company. Starting out, assistant designers make around 27k – 34k depending on the company. You get raises, get promoted to associate designer, then designer, then head designer or design director.

You should definitely go to school. If you don’t then you won’t know the terminology and techniques. Those are critical to know. You can do the self taught thing, but every designer I’ve met who is self taught goes through a phase of feeling insecure and under estimating themselves. Its a shame because some of them have been brilliant, but they aren’t 100% confident that they can compete with others who have degrees.

Design isn’t the only area of fashion, either. Production Management pays really well; better than design when you get to the top of the ladder.

You can do the self taught thing if you want, but if you go that route then you should read a lot of books and take some internships or entry level jobs for a small designer who works in an open studio where you can see everything that goes on in the business. Here is some other info about getting into the field:

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Also, fashion-incubator.com is a great site to learn more about fashion. If you want to find actual salaries for fashion jobs then go to stylecareers.com.

Answer by Kathleen Fasanella
The average salary for a designer is $ 30,000 to $ 40,000 per year -not what many would call a highly paid profession. The only designers I know who are making what I would describe as better paying (over $ 100,000) are those who run their own company.

It used to be that you didn’t need a degree but it’s gotten so competitive than no one will interview you without one. Sure there’s exceptions, usually if you’ve made your mark in another related field and are just switching over.

There are other careers in fashion that pay a lot more but you definitely need training for those jobs (engineering etc).