SOC 27-1022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Fashion Designers — North Carolina
North Carolina · 2 metro areas compared
The median wage here is $74,990 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $80,960.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.0%
- Openings per year
- 2,300
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
20.0% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for North Carolina.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage here is $74,990 a year, within a few percent of the national median of $80,960. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $52,310 and $105,890. The lowest tenth earn under $32,280, while the highest tenth earn more than $195,590.
The area has 460 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.1 of every thousand jobs. North Carolina ranks number 12th out of 23 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Charlotte records the highest median at $82,130. Of the 745 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 208th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $32,280 | −60.1% |
| 25th | $52,310 | −35.4% |
| Median (50th) | $74,990 | −7.4% |
| 75th | $105,890 | +30.8% |
| 90th | $195,590 | +141.6% |
| Mean | $87,590 | +8.2% |
Highest-paying metro areas in North Carolina
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte | $82,130 | 110 | |
| 2 | Greensboro | $52,840 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in North Carolina run 5.7% below the national average, so the median of $74,990 goes as far as $79,523 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 1.8% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$74,990as reported by BLSLocal price level
94.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$79,523US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $74,990 a year, 7.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $32,280 to $195,590 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 460 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 12th of 23 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Charlotte, at $82,130.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Fashion Designers in North Carolina?
The median annual wage is $74,990, or $36.05 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $80,960, so pay in North Carolina is 7.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in North Carolina earns more than $195,590 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $32,280 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Charlotte, at $82,130 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 460 jobs in this occupation in North Carolina. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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