Fashion Designers pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $129,440 or more. The middle half of fashion designers in San Francisco earn between $80,110 and $125,810.
- $61K10th
- $80K25th
- $102KMedian
- $126K75th
- $129K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $106,270 | $8,856 | $51.09 |
| Median | $102,370 | $8,531 | $49.22 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $80,110 | $6,676 | $38.51 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $125,810 | $10,484 | $60.49 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Fashion Designers pay in San Francisco vs. California and the U.S.
Fashion designers in San Francisco earn 16% more than the U.S. average ($91,230). At the median the gap is +26% against the U.S. median of $80,960.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $106,270 | $102,370 | $61,180 | $129,440 | 450 |
| United States | $91,230 | $80,960 | $39,490 | $146,870 | 21,450 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Fashion Designers salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $106,270, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $77,800 a year, or $6,483 a month and $2,992 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Francisco a good place for fashion designers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $106,270 buys what about $91,919 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 10.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Fashion Designers salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 2nd of 4 California metro areas for this job; Santa Maria pays the most ($112,270).
- Santa Maria$112,270
- San Francisco$106,270
- Riverside$100,590
- San Diego$92,290
Highest-paying cities for fashion designers
Boston, MA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,650).
- Boston, MA$118,650
- New York, NY$113,040
- Santa Maria, CA$112,270
- San Francisco, CA$106,270
- Boulder, CO$100,980
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Fashion Designers salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do fashion designers make an hour in San Francisco?
$51.09 an hour on average, and $49.22 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level fashion designers salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $80,110, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the fashion designers take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $77,800 a year ($6,483 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $106,270. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do fashion designers earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 16% more than the U.S. average for this job ($91,230).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-1022; area San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 20.3%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.36, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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