Costume Attendants
Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.
Also called: Costume Attendant, Costume Cutter, Costume Draper, Costume Dresser, Costume Mistress, Costume Seamstress
Median pay
$50,400
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$32,150 – $109,520
People employed
6,510
Holland code
ACR
Artistic · Conventional · Realistic
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK with hours that change?
- 2.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
- 3.Would you rather not deal with customers or the public?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Costume Attendants pay by state
Annual median pay by state (29 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What costume attendants do
- 01Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks.
- 02Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes.
- 03Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
- 04Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations.
- 05Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations.
- 06Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Fine Arts
- Design
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: over 6 months, up to and including 1 year.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from costume attendants
- Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance74% · +93%
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers74% · +25%
- Fashion Designers72% · +61%
- Choreographers66% · +10%
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers64% · −17%
Change into costume attendants
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Models71% · $48,470
- Floral Designers69% · $37,360
- Choreographers68% · $55,310
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers66% · $39,390
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers60% · $62,750
Majors that lead here
- Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.