Find a Job You Really Want In
Yes, clothing/shoe/accessory stores is a good career path to consider. Apparel retail is a huge industry and one that’s impossible to ship overseas.
Despite the rise of online stores, clothing stores are still going to draw people due to their employees’ expertise. Clothing is also a difficult item to select without seeing it and trying it on – not to mention the fact that a lot of people enjoy shopping for additions to their wardrobe in person.
There are retail stores that include all three: clothing, shoes, and accessories. There are also shops that specialize in one of them. No matter which one you select, there are special skills that make you desirable – most especially being knowledgeable about the products.
Due to these being largely retail positions, it isn’t the highest-paying career path to take. However, that doesn’t mean that the work doesn’t take skill and training. The skills learned here can also be transferred to other industries, if you so choose.
10 of the Best Paying Jobs in Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores
As most of the careers in this industry don’t require a college education, the higher-paying jobs aren’t as lucrative as some industries. However, there are some careers you can get into in higher-level retail that still allow for a good paycheck.
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Average Annual Salary: $65,000
General managers manage the entire store. That means they’re expected to have some knowledge of everything that the store sells as well as be attentive to all employees and departments. They’re also expected to deal with any issues with the store’s personnel, displeased customers, and any requirements from higher management.
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Average Annual Salary: $40,000
An assistant store manager is a second-in-command in a retail store. If the general manager isn’t available, then it’s the assistant store manager’s job to take over. Like the general manager, it’s the assistant manager’s job to look after the entirety of the store and fill in if an employee is sick or otherwise unavailable.
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Clothier
Average Annual Salary: N/A
This job requires strong customer service skills as well as extensive knowledge of clothing. Clothiers often do custom work for customers, be it alterations or making bespoke garments.
They can work independently or with a store. If they do work with a store, it’s likely to be a higher-class one, such as one that specializes in men’s formal wear or a bridal shop.
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Average Annual Salary: $76,000
Someone in this role is responsible for tracking the store’s inventory. This job requires a lot of counting, as the inventory manager has to make sure that the store’s true inventory matches up with the digitized inventory.
As most retail stores use a just-in-time model with automated replenishment, this is necessary to make sure that stock gets shipped to the store when it should.
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Average Annual Salary: $48,000
A goldsmith’s duties and salary depend greatly on where they work and how skilled they are. Goldsmiths mainly work with jewelry through forging, filing, and casting. Despite the name, goldsmiths don’t work exclusively with gold and are expected to have a working knowledge of other precious metals as well.
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Average Annual Salary: $44,000
A jeweler is responsible for designing and creating jewelry. This requires knowledge of metals – especially precious metals – gemstones, especially gem setting, as well as forging techniques. A jeweler’s salary can vary greatly depending on where they work and their level of experience and skill.
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Average Annual Salary: $82,000
A shoe designer does exactly what it sounds like: they design shoes. They have to be good with designs, materials, and aesthetics – such as color choice. They may work independently or for a major company, such as Adidas. If you’re interested in footwear and are artistic and creative, this is a good career choice.
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Average Annual Salary: $75,000
Like all designers, clothes designers require high levels of creativity. They have to understand different types of fabric, how it reacts once sewn together, as well as clothing styles. Not all clothes designers are going to work in high fashion – clothing companies such as Levi’s need designers to generate new designs all the time.
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Average Annual Salary: $75,000
This is, in many ways, a higher-level retail position. Merchandise coordinators work with inventory levels, move stock around as needed, and make sure items are priced properly. They’re also responsible for product displays, such as setting up displays in windows to draw customers into their establishment.
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Average Annual Salary: $50,000
Jewelry designers come up with product designs – specifically for jewelry.
This job has a high level of variance, as you can be a jewelry designer with your own business selling pieces on Etsy, or you can work for a major jeweler and design products to be mass produced. Either way, it’s a career that requires high levels of creativity and design know-how. Drawing skills are also highly recommended.
While some of these jobs require degrees or apprenticeships, most of them are going to mainly become available and lucrative through experience. A degree is likely going to be required for the designer positions, but otherwise, getting into the right path is what’s going to land these jobs.
If you’re on the lookout for an entry into the industry, the below jobs are a good place to start your search.
10 Entry-Level Jobs in Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores
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Average Annual Salary: $27,000
Almost every retail employee is expected to run the cash register at some point. However, there are usually a few employees who are designated to be on the register.
Cashiers must be familiar with the software the register runs, different products, and where the barcodes are likely to be located. It’s also important to know the location of goods in the store, in case they need to direct a customer or check a price or the item doesn’t have a barcode.
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Average Annual Salary: $51,000
Buyers are responsible for getting the supplies and merchandise that a business needs to run. In the case of assistant merchandise buyers, their focus is on merchandise rather than supplies.
This means that they need to pay close attention to the stock and inventory levels of the business, as well as have excellent communication and negotiation skills. Maintaining a good rapport with sellers is paramount in this job, as well as working on getting the best deal possible.
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Jewelry Polisher
Average Annual Salary: N/A
Jewelry polishers do more than just shine up jewelry. They work with bench jewelers to restore and prepare gemstones and precious metals. They use equipment to buff dull coatings off stones and smooth away scratches from gems or metals.
This means you’ll need to have a working knowledge of precious and semiprecious stones, as well as different precious metals, such as platinum, silver, and gold.
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Average Annual Salary: $30,000
An apparel associate works with clothing. Most of their job is folding clothes, setting up displays, and returning items from the dressing room to the store floor.
However, they’re also expected to be able to help customers find what they need, be familiar with the inventory and store layout, and, depending on the store, make suggestions for what will suit the customer.
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Shoe Repairer
Average Annual Salary: N/A
While the name here is self-explanatory, shoe repairs can do more than just repair footwear. So long as the shoes are made of high-quality materials, they can also adjust them. Shoe repairers will replace heels and soles and buff out scuff marks. They can also stretch out too-tight leather shoes, replace heel caps, or add padding.
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Boot Maker
Average Annual Salary: N/A
This job has a lot of variances. Boot makers can work in factories to sew and put boots together, or they can work at a high-end establishment making bespoke boots. Depending on which one you choose, the amount of money you make will vary significantly.
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Average Annual Salary: $27,000
Footwear associates usually work at specialty shoe stores, such as Rack Room Shoes, helping customers select the right shoes. They can also work at a department store in the shoe section.
Depending on the store, your job may also involve getting the right size shoe from the backroom, or it may just involve stocking, cleaning, and helping customers find what they’re looking for.
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Average Annual Salary: $41,000
Sometimes called alterations specialists, alterations tailors are experts at altering clothing. Someone with this job can either work independently or work for a specialty clothing store, such as a bridal shop or men’s suits retailer, where alterations are considered part of the service.
This job requires knowledge of fabric, clothing, and precision in both measurements and the finished product.
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Average Annual Salary: $31,000
Jewelry sales associates are the first point of contact in a jewelry store. Their main duties are to help customers select the right pieces and to close sales.
Because a large part of their job is to approach customers and give advice, jewelry sales associates need to be comfortable talking with other people and have knowledge of different types of jewelry and styles.
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Average Annual Salary: $40,000
A merchandiser is another name for a stocker. Apparel merchandisers work with clothing, making sure that it’s taken out of the stock room, properly folded or hung on a hanger, and put in its proper place. Not every store has designated merchandisers instead of jack-of-all-trades employees, but if it’s a larger store, it’s likely.
Most of these jobs don’t require a college education, though going to a vocational school or community college is recommended for some. The majority have on-the-job training, meaning that you can step right into them out of high school if you’re looking to start your career right away.
Why Choose a Career in Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores?
A career in clothing/shoe/accessory stores is going to involve a lot of working with other people and with apparel. Clothing is a necessary item, so even in economic downturns, clothing stores do well. The nature of your job will be different depending on what part of the industry you choose, but there are some skills that are helpful no matter where you land.
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You’re passionate about apparel. If you’re going to specialize in retail, it’s a very good idea to pick something that interests you. In this case, you should have a strong interest in clothing, shoes, or accessories – preferably all three. This will help you in keeping up to date in the industry as well as making your job more enjoyable.
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You like working with the public. Retail is, at its heart, a service industry. The majority of a retail associate’s job is dealing with customers. You need to be patient, cheerful, and make the customer feel heard and welcome, even when you don’t feel like it.
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Getting a four-year degree isn’t a priority for you. Almost none of these jobs require a college degree. So, if school isn’t your strong suit, you don’t want to go into debt, or you want to start working right away, then retail is an industry you can step into with a high school diploma.
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You’d like to get a discount on your wardrobe. The one major perk retail employees get is an employee discount at the store. So if you love shoes and clothes, getting a job at a store that sells those will guarantee you can get them for less money.
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Flexibility in your schedule is important to you. As almost every retail job is part-time, you can have more flexibility in your schedule. Most retail stores allow you to block out times you aren’t available, and you can request time off, just like other jobs.
Retail positions, in general, aren’t highly paid, so it’s strongly recommended for you to be interested in what you’re doing. If the above list sounds like it describes you, then you should absolutely look into a career in specialty retail.
Education and Certification Requirements for a Career in Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores
The majority of these jobs don’t require a college education, so experience is going to be the main way that you’re able to advance in this industry. However, there are a few exceptions, so here are some degrees to consider.
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Apparel and Textiles. This degree will teach you about clothing and different textiles, fabrics, and materials.
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Retail Management. This degree isn’t available everywhere, but it can help if you want to be in management or a merchandising coordinator.
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Design. This isn’t a degree that you can just get anywhere, and it’s fairly involved. However, it teaches you all about design and the processes behind it.
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Design Technology. This focuses on the technology that goes into designing and that you’d work with as a designer.
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Fashion Design. This teaches you how to design clothing, shoes, and accessories. Excellent if you want to be a shoe designer or clothes designer.
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A few of these jobs are also best served by getting a degree at a vocational school or getting an apprenticeship.
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Goldsmiths often apprentice. However, most of the skills can also be learned at a trade school.
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A jeweler is also a position that’s usually apprenticed for. Vocation schools will also teach these skills as well.
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Tailors will also apprentice. So clothiers and alterations tailors usually apprentice and are taught with on-the-job training.
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While there aren’t requirements to become a jewelry polisher, getting some training at a vocational school is recommended.
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There aren’t really any schools that teach shoe repair, so apprenticeship is the best way to get into it.
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High-level bootmakers will apprentice to learn the skills needed.
There are certifications that you can get in these jobs, but for most of them, experience is the best way to advance your career.
What Do People Working In Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores Do?
People working in clothing/shoe/accessory stores sell apparel to customers. This, of course, involves the designing of the apparel, getting it to the retail store, and putting it on the shelf for customers to select.
Most people who work in this industry are going to work in retail stores. They advise customers, keep the stores stocked and organized, and ring up purchases.
Others will work more on the design side, coming up with products to sell to customers in their stores. Some will also be highly specialized or trained, creating the products themselves: jewelers, goldsmiths, boot makers, and clothiers fit in this category.
If you like working with apparel and with customers, then this is an excellent industry for you to look into.
Author
Di has been a writer for more than half her life. Most of her writing so far has been fiction, and she’s gotten short stories published in online magazines Kzine and Silver Blade, as well as a flash fiction piece in the Bookends review. Di graduated from Mary Baldwin College (now University) with a degree in Psychology and Sociology.
