Fashion Designer job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

13

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$80,960

BLS May 2025

1. Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects. importance 4.3 of 5
3. Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas. importance 4.1 of 5
4. Select materials and production techniques to be used for products. importance 4.1 of 5
5. Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows. importance 4.0 of 5
6. Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments. importance 4.0 of 5
7. Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. importance 3.9 of 5
8. Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs. importance 3.7 of 5
9. Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences. importance 3.7 of 5
10. Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs. importance 3.6 of 5
11. Visit textile showrooms to keep up-to-date on the latest fabrics. importance 3.5 of 5
12. Adapt other designers' ideas for the mass market. importance 3.5 of 5
13. Test fabrics or oversee testing so that garment care labels can be created. importance 3.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Thinking Creatively, Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Getting Information and Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Determine prices for styles.
• Develop a group of products or accessories, and market them through venues such as boutiques or mail-order catalogs.
• Draw patterns for articles designed, cut patterns, and cut material according to patterns, using measuring instruments and scissors.
• Sew together sections of material to form mockups or samples of garments or articles, using sewing equipment.
• Design custom clothing and accessories for individuals, retailers, or theatrical, television, or film productions.
• Research the styles and periods of clothing needed for film or theatrical productions.

Knowledge areas: Design, Computers and Electronics, Production and Processing, Sales and Marketing and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a fashion designer.

Most fashion designers surveyed by O*NET (51%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Fashion Designer
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Fashion Designer to design clothing and accessories.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
- Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
- Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
- Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
- Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
- Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
- Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
- Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, speaking and critical thinking
- Working knowledge of Design and Computers and Electronics
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud software or Adobe Illustrator]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $80,960 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $38.92. BLS estimates about 21,450 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of fashion designers to grow 0.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,500 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full fashion designer salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real fashion designer posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only fashion designer work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and speaking); fashion designer interview questions turns them into practice questions.