Find a Job You Really Want In
Yes, apparel is a good career path. Working in apparel and fashion can be an absolutely amazing field, especially if you love clothing and trends. There are many different avenues within this industry, and you can pick and choose what things interest you most and follow your dreams.
If you’re interested in exploring the field of apparel, the following list of jobs will give you an idea of what professions are out there and might inspire you to find a career path in apparel.
The 5 Best-Paying Jobs in Apparel
This field can be everything you dreamed of if you work hard and are willing to pay your dues and network. It’s about being known and making connections, no matter what part of the industry you work in. A bit of talent can help a lot, too.
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Average Annual Salary: $57,000
Obviously, one of the most coveted and highest regarded jobs in the apparel industry is that of fashion designer. The top designers all have names that are known around the globe, and they can ask top dollar for their designs, whether they’re ready-to-wear or bespoke creations for gala events.
There are very few people who rise to this role and have well-earned celebrity status.
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Average Annual Salary: $121,000
Did you know most big design companies, even those with top-name designers attached to them are actually run by the creative director? This person is the most important person in each and every fashion house, and they shape the brand’s vision and aesthetic. They’re paid top dollar because they are the true vision behind the apparel.
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Senior Apparel Designer
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Below the fashion designer and the creative director is the senior apparel designer. Just because this job isn’t a celebrity position and not the director, don’t consider them low on the ladder of apparel success.
This is one of the best jobs in a fashion house, and the pay reflects it. If this is your job, you’re who the creative director relies on to come up with ideas and make them happen.
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Trend Forecaster
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There aren’t a lot of people in this position, but it’s a great job if you can get it. Think of this job as a social media expert and an editorial writer all rolled into the most stylish person you know. To be a trend forecaster, you have to be friends with everyone in the industry and know what they’re thinking about putting forward on next season’s runway.
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Fabric Researcher
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Did you even know that the job of fabric researcher existed? And it’s a good-paying career. This is an interesting career path for someone who’s interested in apparel but also has a strong scientific mind. What can you turn into a fabric that’s better for the wearer or the environment? If you think you can revolutionize the apparel industry through fabric, this is where you belong.
10 Entry-Level Jobs in Apparel
The field of apparel is appealing to many, it can be a lot of glitz and glamour, but behind the scenes, there are people who are working very hard to keep that shiny illusion. If your dream is to get into the field of fashion, you’re in luck. There are many entry-level jobs in this business that don’t require a lot or even any education and prior experience.
It’s a wonderful field to enter right away, and then you can work your way into the area that you find most interesting.
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Fashion Retail Clerk
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Everyone is familiar with this profession. Every time you walk into a clothing store, you’re exposed to people who are there to help show you the latest style, help you find an appropriate garment, and sell apparel. This is one of the best-known jobs around, and you don’t need any experience to start in this business.
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Average Annual Salary: $36,000
A stylist is someone who has a great eye for fashion and can guide others into what outfits would look great on them. Some stylists have gone to tech school and earned degrees or certificates in fashion, and others haven’t. With this job, you can work in a store for an individual or at special fashion events.
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Average Annual Salary: $37,000
A large part of the fashion industry is showing off the garments and how they look. If you love to look at life from behind a lens, then being a photographer in apparel is a reliable career. Before you get to that level, you’ll start as an entry-level photographer’s assistant, though.
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Model
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One of the highest-paid jobs you can have in apparel can also be an entry-level job. Models don’t need a lot of education and only a bit of training before they’re ready to pose and walk the runways. It’s a great entry-level job, but the business is grueling and can be a little hard on the ego as well.
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Average Annual Salary: $59,000
A big part of the apparel industry is selling, and to do that, you’ll need people who can write great copy describing the garments – just like a copywriter. Most copywriters have a degree in English or a related field and can demonstrate that they’re great writers, but this can easily be a starting job for a college graduate.
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Social Media/Influencer
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Being an influencer is a bit of a fluke, but for those people who have learned how to capture followers, this is an entry-level job that can be quite lucrative. Similarly, and yet very different, social media experts are necessary to create brand buzz through a more understandable methodology, and that can be an entry-level job.
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Assistant Fashion Designer
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Let’s face it, the fashion designer is one of the most prestigious jobs in apparel, and it’s rarely an entry-level opportunity, but being an assistant to the designer might just be your way in and the job of your dreams. You’re going to need to have some demonstratable skills in fashion and design to get this job, and it’s going to be hard work, but it’s all worth it.
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Average Annual Salary: $51,000
The buyer is in charge of picking the styles that a store will need for each season and making sure they broker these deals, so they have the top-selling items in suitable quantities. The assistant buyer is there to help make all of this happen. The job is about fulfilling a consumer need and being on top of trends and it takes a lot of people to do it right.
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Average Annual Salary: $42,000
Want to take your apparel interest in a different direction? A stitcher is someone who works with apparel but in a performing arts world, not the fashion world. You’ll need to know how to use a sewing machine and understand some complicated hand-stitching techniques to do this job. Mainly, you’re tasked with taking the cut fabric and sewing it together to make costumes.
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Average Annual Salary: $31,000
How about this for an entry-level job – dresser. A dresser can work in the theatre or in fashion shows, and they’re tasked with getting the models and actors dressed. In both of these situations, wardrobe changes need to happen almost instantly, and it’s your job to see that through.
Why Choose a Career in Apparel
The best reason to choose a job in apparel is to satisfy your desire to work with clothing, fabrics, and fashion. Whether you work in marketing and editorial, in a fashion house, or in theatre, apparel plays a huge role in all of these industries.
Working in this industry also brings a lot of other benefits that will make it clear why you should pursue a career in apparel.
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Job security. This is a fickle business, and there’s a good chance that where you are might not be where you stay; it might not even be where you are in a couple of years. But there is always going to be a need for people who work in the apparel business, and there will always be jobs. The more experience you have, the more desirable you’ll be.
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Opportunity for advancement. Get in the door of the area you’re interested in and start making connections. This is a field that relies heavily on “who you know” to make things happen. It’s about being seen and getting noticed; once you do that, the sky’s the limit.
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Cutting edge style. Prepare for all the compliments because you’re going to be leading the trends; you’ll be who people look to for advice and inspiration. It’s like being a muse to the entire world when it comes to how to dress.
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Financial compensation. Entry-level positions start with low pay, it’s true, but after that, you can find a path to move upward, and the money will start coming your way.
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No education is necessary. Some positions do require education or at least experience and talent, but there are a lot of jobs open in apparel that require no education or experience at all. You learn on the job instead.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Apparel
Because the field of apparel is so incredibly vast, there are a number of different paths you can follow. Some will require tremendous talent, some rely on education, and some people get to the top through networking. Education can be useful, depending on which direction you take your apparel interest.
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High school or GED. The first step is getting your high school degree or a GED. This is a base requirement for many entry-level jobs. After that, you can work in the industry and work your way up, or you can see where you might need some additional training.
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On-the-job training. So much of what you learn about the industry is cutting edge, meaning that you have to learn it at the moment on the job. There’s no way to capture that experience and instantaneous opportunity in a classroom.
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Associates or tech certifications. You might find that an associate’s degree or technical certification in fashion, theatre, and other similar fields can help you gain the skills you need for your area of interest.
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Bachelor’s degree. If you’re interested in going into the editorial or the financial side of the apparel business, then having a bachelor’s is going to be a requirement. It’s not needed for every field, but for some, it’s essential.
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Masters or doctorate degrees. These degrees are rarely needed in apparel, but sitting at the top of the retail stores, the fabric suppliers, the magazines, and the advertising agencies that work in apparel are people with advanced degrees.
What Do People Working in Apparel Do?
This is a very dynamic industry that is changing every day. Styles come and go, new fabrics are developed, models walk runways, and photographers take their pictures. It’s exciting, it’s thrilling, and you might be the designer who creates a dress that walks the red carpet. If these ideas spark a fire in your belly, then there’s no other career path for you.
Another reason many people enjoy working in the apparel field is that it’s easy to get an entry-level job. This might not be your final destination, and that’s okay. Working in apparel can help pay your way through school; it can get you some real-world work experience to prepare you for another job, or it can just be a way to make money and interact with others.
Whether apparel is your dream or it’s just a way to pay the bills, this is a great industry to work in, and you’re sure to enjoy what you do. If not, there are so many different careers within this field, you can simply change directions and find something you like more.
Author
Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.
