IDM - 7 Highest Paying Fashion Jobs With Salaries

Viral Patel

6 min

Thinking that the fashion industry is only about fashion is a mistake. The fashion industry encompasses many other sectors. If you want to make a career in the fashion industry, you can seek job opportunities across the marketing, design, and publishing sectors.

The dynamic fashion industry offers excellent career opportunities with lucrative pay packages. If you are searching for the highest-paying fashion design careers, you have come to the right place!

Let us explore some of the best fashion design careers in this blog.

Top-paying career paths in fashion design

The fashion world offers a host of job opportunities across diverse roles. Here are the highest-paying fashion design careers:

1. Fashion Designer

  • Fashion designers create their signature line of clothes and accessories.
  • Right from conceptualizing and sketching designs to choosing materials and creating prototypes—a designer handles the complete creation process of any collection.
  • While some fashion designers excel at creating items for fashion shows, boutiques, runways, and high-end fashion stores, others focus on creating apparel and accessories for the masses.

How much does a fashion designer earn?

Quality fashion designers are innovative and creative and have equal expertise in manufacturing and merchandising.

In 2024, an entry-level fashion designer will make around INR 1.79 LPA, while a pro in the field will make INR 9.92 LPA. The average salary of a fashion designer is approximately INR 3.96 LPA.

2. Design Director

  • Design directors in the fashion industry manage a team of designers. They are responsible for product line development for a brand or retailer.
  • Under the guidance of the design director, the design team creates products for each fashion season following market demands and current trends.
  • Fashion design directors supervise the entire design process. They also ensure compatibility in product lines to maintain consistency.

What’s the pay of a design director?

To become a design director, you must have seven years of experience in the fashion industry.

In India, the starting salary of a design director is approximately INR 6.0 LPA. The highest salary that a fashion design director gets in India is about INR 70 LPA. The average annual salary is about INR 23 LPA.

3. Fashion Buyer

  • One of the leading fashion design careers is that of a fashion buyer. A buyer studies the latest fashion trends.
  • Buyers often work with department or retail stores and choose products to be sold at the store. These professionals attend fashion shows and trade shows to find suitable products.
  • They are also on good terms with designers and suppliers and are responsible for making decisions on various merchandise.

How much do fashion buyers earn?

An entry-level fashion buyer in India makes approximately INR 2.97 LPA. The highest salary of a fashion buyer reaches INR 1 million annually, while the average salary stands at INR 7 LPA per annum.

4. Fashion Consultant

  • Typically having a degree in merchandising or fashion design, a fashion consultant has in-depth knowledge of the fashion industry and its latest trends and styles.
  • Fashion consultants are pivotal in coordinating fabrics and colors for clients, suggesting must-have wardrobe items.
  • They also find new clothes and styles that sync with their clients’ personalities and lifestyles.

What is the pay package of fashion consultants?

An entry-level fashion consultant earns an average salary of INR 2.7 LPA, while a consultant with a few years of experience gets around INR 3.0 LPA. Depending on the professional’s working experience, the highest salary of a fashion consultant can range from INR 4.4 LPA to INR 6.6 LPA.

5. Fashion marketing and PR

  • The role of a fashion marketing and PR professional is quite challenging and interesting. It demands customer engagement, brand awareness promotion, maintaining public relations, etc.
  • The professional also plans fashion marketing campaigns, manages social media accounts, pens press releases, and organizes fashion shows and events.
  • Such professionals can work dedicatedly for one brand or agencies with multiple fashion brand clients.

What is the salary range for fashion marketing professionals?

The salary for an entry-level fashion marketing and PR professional is approximately INR 3 LPA. A minimum of 2-3 years of experience is required to land this job. An experienced professional makes almost INR 26-28 LPA, while the average is INR 12.7 LPA.

6. Fashion Stylist

  • A stylist styles a celebrity or a model’s outfit, accessories, and even props for a photo shoot, ramp show, movie, interview, advertisement shoot, concert, and other events.
  • Being a fashion stylist demands creativity, innovation, and proper implementation. It is one of the most fascinating and highest-paying fashion design careers.
  • Such professionals can work for retail brands, image production teams, print media, and celebrities.

How much can you earn as a fashion stylist?

At the entry-level, a fashion stylist earns INR 2.42 LPA. With experience, the salary of such professionals goes up to INR 8 LPA. The base salary is approximately INR 5 LPA.

7. Garment Technologist

  • A garment technologist chooses and tests various fabrics and textiles. They oversee whether a particular design can be done with a specific fabric and remains within budget.
  • They also monitor various garment-making methods, conduct quality control checks of ready garments, and certify them as fault-free. They aim to create sustainable production processes for various apparel.
  • Garment technologists are in demand among retail and manufacturing employers in the fashion industry. Such professionals are also in demand in companies dealing with technical apparel like firefighter clothes or spacesuits.

How much does a garment technologist earn?

The starting salary of a garment technologist ranges from INR 3 LPA to 4.8 LPA. The highest salary is approximately INR 20 LPA. The average salary in this profession is INR 7-7.5 LPA.

Kickstart your career in the fashion industry with a professional course

The fashion industry is dynamic, and so are fashion design careers. In this guide, we have given you an overview of the highest-paying fashion design careers and the job roles you can pursue. Start by studying the industry to understand it better, and research different job portfolios to narrow down on the one that suits your professional goals.

If you want to pursue a career in fashion design, a wise option is to enroll for a Bachelor in Fashion Design offered by the ITM Institute of Design and Media. With internship programs and 100% placement assistance, it is the perfect program to kickstart your dream career in the fashion industry. Visit itm.edu to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) Which career is the most challenging in the fashion world?

The job of a fashion stylist is the most challenging in the fashion world. Along with innovation and creativity, this role demands a strong vision of how a person would look in a particular style.

2) What is the career graph of fashion designers?

Entry-level fashion designers often work as assistant designers or cutting assistants. With experience, the career path of the designer can take the form of a Pattern Company Designer, Technical Designer, Head Designer, Head of the Design Department, or Creative Director.

3) What is the highest salary of a fashion designer?

The highest salary for a fashion designer in India is approximately INR 9.92 LPA. The higher the experience of the fashion designer, higher is the salary.

4) Which is the highest position in a fashion brand?

The ‘Head Designer’ or ‘Creative Director’ is the highest designation you can reach in the fashion industry. These designations also demand the highest salary potential. These professionals handle the creative vision of the designer brand, along with handling major fashion design decisions.