Fashion Designers Salary
Fashion Designers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC make a median of $82,130 a year, or about $39.48 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $208K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.35), that's roughly $84,366 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,686/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $82K get you in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia’s Regional Price Parity (97.35). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About fashion designers
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What this looks like in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
Fashion designers pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia tracks closely to the national median, $82K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,686/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.35) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fashion designers in metros near Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greensboro-High Point | $53K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Entry-level fashion designers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $208K or more, a $172K spread from bottom to top.
Fashion Designers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Fashion Designers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $104K | +28% | 540 |
| New Jersey | $102K | +26% | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | +24% | 40 |
| New York | $99K | +22% | 5,760 |
| Colorado | $94K | +16% | 360 |
| Virginia | $94K | +16% | 100 |
| Ohio | $82K | +1% | 90 |
| Washington | $82K | +1% | N/A |
| Connecticut | $82K | +1% | 50 |
| Vermont | $80K | -2% | 60 |
| Georgia | $78K | -3% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $75K | -7% | 460 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -21% | 320 |
| Michigan | $63K | -22% | 40 |
| Kansas | $59K | -27% | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | -30% | 120 |
| Maine | $50K | -39% | 30 |
| Hawaii | $48K | -41% | N/A |
| Arizona | $46K | -44% | N/A |
| Florida | $43K | -47% | 1,100 |
| Minnesota | $42K | -48% | 420 |
| Indiana | $41K | -50% | 120 |
| Texas | $40K | -51% | 1,850 |
Showing 1–10 of 23 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track fashion designers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fashion designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 32.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,686/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for fashion designers in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fashion designers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,158/month. At HUD’s $1,686/month FMR, rent would take 78% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is fashion designer a high-paying job in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $82K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia compare to the national average for fashion designers?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fashion designers make in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The median is $82,130 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,970, and experienced fashion designers can clear $207,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,206/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,686/month, which eats 32.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a fashion designers salary go in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia?
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia has a Regional Price Parity of 97.35 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median fashion designers salary is worth about $84,366 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do fashion designers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.