Fashion Designers Salary
Fashion Designers in Pittsburgh, PA make a median of $53,950 a year, or about $25.94 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $56,987 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,299/month, about 36% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Pittsburgh?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). 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 Pittsburgh
Pay for fashion designers in Pittsburgh runs about 33% below the U.S. median of $81K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,299/month, which is 35.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for fashion designerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fashion designers in metros near Pittsburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $79K | $77K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $100K | $88K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level fashion designers (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $48K 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 Pittsburgh numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fashion designer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 35.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/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 Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fashion designers typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,181/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Pittsburgh?
Local pay runs 33% below the national median — $54K here vs. $81K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for fashion designers?
Pittsburgh pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -33%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do fashion designers make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $53,950 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,010, and experienced fashion designers can clear $101,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,644/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 35.6% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (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 $56,987 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.