Fashion Designers build coordination, judgment and decision making and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (76%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance | 76% | $97,150 | +20% | None |
| 2 | Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers | 68% | $62,750 | −22% | None |
| 3 | Film and Video Editors | 66% | $75,420 | −7% | Bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Music Directors and Composers | 64% | $73,710 | −9% | Bachelor's degree |
| 5 | Producers and Directors | 62% | $90,360 | +12% | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Video Game Designers | 61% | $104,000Pay for the broader BLS group “Web and Digital Interface Designers” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 7 | Editors | 59% | $77,920 | −4% | Bachelor's degree |
| 8 | Choreographers | 59% | $55,310 | −32% | None |
| 9 | Architectural and Civil Drafters | 58% | $66,150 | −18% | None |
| 10 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | 58% | $133,660 | +65% | Bachelor's degree |
Compared with Fashion Designers, median $80,960. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as fashion designers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
76% skill match · $97,150 · +20% pay
Equipment Selection · Management of Financial Resources
68% skill match · $62,750 · −22% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Quality Control Analysis
66% skill match · $75,420 · −7% pay
Operation and Control · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance (76% skill match, median $97,150), Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers (68% skill match, median $62,750) and Film and Video Editors (66% skill match, median $75,420), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 7 pay more than fashion designers at the median. The biggest increases: Marketing Managers (+106%, $166,790), Advertising and Promotions Managers (+65%, $133,660) and Training and Development Managers (+64%, $133,000).
9 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.