How Much a Job in the Fashion Industry REALLY Pays
With the help of Fashionista, we got to check out the salaries of a whole range of fashion-related jobs. Everyone from editor in chief to social media managers were willing to give the world a peek into their pay stubs. The resulting numbers represent the average of 5,000 survey participants. Some of them were from some pretty esteemed companies like Prada, Marc Jacobs and Vogue. So, while you may remain a bit sheepish about entering the fashion industry due to the depiction of fashion moguls, like the one played by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, keep in mind it may be worth humbling yourself; someday, it may really pay off. We’re talking six figures for following your passions and possibly fetching a designer coffee or two in the meantime. Hey, we’ve all got to pay our dues.
By far, the best represented category is the editorial department, with 15 jobs listed, starting at the bottom with 25K a year for assistant marketing editors, and moving all the way up to just shy of a quarter of a million dollars for the editor in chief. It might be a stressful job, but we feel like $250,000 — well $242,250 — could soften the edges a bit for those at the top of the editorial food chain.
The pay discrepancy is a little less pronounced, but there’s still plenty to work toward in the retail/sales/e-commerce department. The salaries start with assistant buyers making $40,580 and go all the way up to the fashion director, making $119,850. If you’re shooting for the highest base salary, try the social media department, which shows the average salary of a manager at $60,380.
Who are the heavy hitters on the fashion pay scale? Here are the top five highest paying positions.
5. VP Publicity: $159,290
4. Photo Director: $161,500
3. Design Director: $177,560
2. Chief Marketing Officer: $204,500
1. Editor in Chief: $242,250
If you’re looking for the biggest salaries, it looks like you’ll be heading over to the editorial side of fashion. The stylish climb to the top comes with more to look forward to than freebies and a heads up on the latest trends.
What is your dream fashion position? Let us know in the comments!
(h/t Fashionista, photos via Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty, Mike Coppola/Getty, Patrick Aventurier/Stringer, Jason Merritt/Getty)