Fashion

Here Are Fashionista's Salary Survey Results

by Alexa Tucker

Listen up, fashion industry fanatics, we've got some big news. Fashionista has released the results of its annual fashion salary survey. While some results are to be expected, some are pretty surprising. Whether you aspire to work in the fashion industry or you already do, the findings are worth taking a peek at.

This is the second year Fashionista has done the survey, and the findings provide a pretty great benchmark for what people in fashion get paid in every facet of the industry, including retail and sales, creative, design, PR, marketing, social media, and editorial (oh hey, that's me!) The website surveyed 5,000 of their readers about their salaries to compile the information, and respondents included people from some huge brands like Vogue and Marc Jacobs.

Of all of the sections, the salary range appeared to be the widest in editorial positions (employees are paid anywhere between $25,000 and $242,000 based on their job title,) but keep in mind, these are just averages.

While some of these jobs don't pay as much as people think they should, there's one teeny bonus that comes along with them: you get to work in fashion. And for someone who loves the industry, that's a pretty big perk. Sure, an assistant buyer may wish they made a little more cash or had a higher position, but it's a pretty exciting field to work in, even though it's far from easy.

Here's a breakdown of the important points of the survey:

Highest Paying: Editor in Chief, $242,250

According to the survey, editor in chiefs make about $242,250 a year. I'm thinking that the queen of fashion magazine EICs, Anna Wintour, makes a few extra bucks though — maybe even $1.7 million more. (It's been reported her salary is a cool $2 mil.)

Lowest Paying: Assistant Market Editor, $25,000

Ouch. Well, I guess everyone has to pay their dues at some point, right? And on the editorial side, apparently, the time is when you're an Assistant Market Editor. (*winces*)

Most Subjective: Designer, $127,260

I'd imagine that there's a huge gap in designer salaries. A FIDM grad with an amazing start-up brand probably doesn't make as much as a high-up designer at Michael Kors does. This average probably has some major outliers influencing it.

One to Watch: Blogger: $45,430

While $45k isn't a massive salary, I'm still shocked that people in this editorial position make that much. But, then again, with digital fashion journalism on the rise, I wouldn't be surprised if this number jumped way higher on next year's survey.

Biggest Surprise: Senior Social Media Manager, $123,810

A senior social media manager for a fashion brand makes $123k?! I have to up my Twitter and Instagram game, guys.

Images: Giphy