Fashion Designers Salary
Fashion Designers in Madison, WI make a median of $57,030 a year, or about $27.42 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $58,619 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,168/month, about 31.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Pay for fashion designers in Madison runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $81K. Rent runs $1,168/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fashion designers in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $46K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level fashion designers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $63K 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
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 Madison numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fashion designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Madison?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 30.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for fashion designers in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fashion designers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,411/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Madison?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $57K here vs. $81K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for fashion designers?
Madison pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do fashion designers make in Madison, WI?
The median is $57,030 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,190, and experienced fashion designers can clear $103,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,824/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 30.5% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $58,619 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.