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Fashion Designer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a fashion designer is $59,500 per annum, before tax, up $12,300 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- Pay depends more on the employer and the size of the business than on the job title: designers working for large retail brands, licensed ranges or established manufacturers generally earn more than those in small studios, where a lower salary often comes with more creative control.
- Freelance and self-employed designers are paid per collection, per sample range or by wholesale order, so income moves with the season rather than arriving each week.
- Part-time and contract work is common and can pull annual earnings below the full-time figure.
The median salary rose by $12,300 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 fashion designer
The largest typical pay rise is $79,700 a year, moving into Marketing Manager.
- Marketing Manager+$79,700/yr
- Graphic Designer+$36,700/yr
- Retail Buyer+$20,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher fashion designer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time fashion designer salary is $59,500; 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 fashion designer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Marketing Manager pays a typical $79,700 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."
Fashion Designer salary questions
How much do fashion designers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a fashion designer is $59,500 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is fashion designer pay rising or falling?
The median fashion designer salary is up $12,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than fashion designer?
Marketing Manager pays a typical $79,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to fashion designer.
Related salaries
- Graphic Designer salary
- Retail Buyer salary
- Marketing Manager salary
- Clothing Patternmaker salary
- Milliner salary
- Art Director 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.