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Alamo Colleges DistrictCareer Explorer

Fashion Designers

Part of Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications, in the Visual Arts pathway.

Job zone 3: medium preparationO*NET 27-1022.00

What the work is

Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

On a typical day

  • Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
  • Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
  • Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
  • Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
  • Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
  • Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.

What it pays

$40,040
Median pay per year, Texas (no San Antonio figure published)
New workers start near $28,170
Experienced workers reach $98,620
  1. $28k10th
  2. $39k25th
  3. $40kMedian
  4. $63k75th
  5. $99k90th
Wage percentiles: 10th $28,170, 25th $39,490, Median $40,040, 75th $63,210, 90th $98,620

Job outlook

Alamo region (Bexar and 12 surrounding counties), Texas Workforce Commission projection 2024 to 2034. U.S. figures from the BLS for comparison.

+13.2%

employment change in the Alamo region, 235 to 266 jobs · U.S. +2%

25

openings a year in the Alamo region, from growth and people leaving · U.S. 2,300

235

employed in the Alamo region in 2024 · U.S. 25,700

Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree

Skills this career uses

The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.

  1. Critical Thinking4.0
  2. Active Listening3.9
  3. Speaking3.9
  4. Social Perceptiveness3.8
  5. Coordination3.8
  6. Time Management3.8
  7. Judgment and Decision Making3.6
  8. Active Learning3.3

Education people in this job have

Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.

  1. High school or less4%
  2. Some college1%
  3. Associate degree44%
  4. Bachelor's degree51%

Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.

Alamo programs that lead here

No Alamo program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.

Browse all programs

Does this fit you?

Six questions rank every career here by how closely its interest profile follows yours.

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  2. $82kSan Antonio median
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    Zone 44 Alamo programs

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  6. $62kSan Antonio median