Fashion Designers Salary
Fashion Designers in Kansas City, MO-KS make a median of $59,150 a year, or about $28.44 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.54), which stretches that salary to about $63,918 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,358/month, about 34.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K get you in Kansas City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kansas City’s Regional Price Parity (92.54). 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 Kansas City
Pay for fashion designers in Kansas City runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $81K. Rent runs $1,358/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas City, MO-KS
Entry-level fashion designers (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $90K 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 Kansas City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fashion designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kansas City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,358/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for fashion designers in Kansas City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fashion designers typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,067/month. At HUD’s $1,358/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Kansas City?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $59K here vs. $81K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kansas City compare to the national average for fashion designers?
Kansas City pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do fashion designers make in Kansas City, MO-KS?
The median is $59,150 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,450, and experienced fashion designers can clear $124,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in Kansas City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,962/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,358/month, which eats 34.3% 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 Kansas City?
Kansas City has a Regional Price Parity of 92.54 (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 $63,918 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.