Home Costume Designer Salary
Costume Designer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a costume designer is $70,200 per annum, before tax, up $14,600 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay in this job moves with the production as much as with the person.
- Feature films, television series and large touring shows budget for a head of department and assistants, while theatre, dance and independent work often pays less and runs for shorter periods.
- Many costume designers work freelance, so annual earnings depend on how many contracts you string together and how much unpaid development work sits between them.
The median salary rose by $14,600 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than costume designer
The largest typical pay rise is $28,600 a year, moving into Production Designer.
- Production Designer+$28,600/yr
- Textile Designer+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher costume designer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time costume designer salary is $70,200; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Visual design and Creative software production tend to command a premium over general costume designer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Production Designer pays a typical $28,600 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Costume Designer salary questions
How much do costume designers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a costume designer is $70,200 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is costume designer pay rising or falling?
The median costume designer salary is up $14,600 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than costume designer?
Production Designer pays a typical $28,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to costume designer.
Related salaries
- Production Designer salary
- Textile Designer salary
- Costume Maker salary
- Sculptor salary
- Ceramic Artist salary
- Jewellery Designer salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.