The best way to make real money in fashion is by becoming a freelance fashion designer.
I’m not talking about full-time “permalance” gigs where you’re onsite 5 days a week, treated like an employee, while getting none of the benefits – no paid time off, no healthcare, no job security. When the project’s done, you’re basically unemployed again. It’s a sh!t deal (for you and the industry).
I’m talking about true remote freelancing – where you:
- Pick the projects you’re excited about
- Work with clients you choose
- Set your own schedule and rates
- Work from anywhere (yes, even your couch)
- And make way more than you did at a full-time job
Now let’s talk about what doesn’t work.
It’s not by starting your own clothing line.
Because if you’re lucky enough to create a successful fashion brand, it’s going to take 3-5 years before there’s maybe enough money to take a paycheck. In reality, most brands end up crashing and burning in debt with boxes of inventory that they can’t get rid of.
It’s not by getting to the top of the corporate ladder.
You’ll be working 60-80 hr weeks, and most fashion job pay less than minimum wage. Sure, director and C-level fashion jobs can pay a good salary upwards of $150k+ in the US. But the chances you’ll get there are slim.
How Much Money Can You ACTUALLY Make Freelancing In the Fashion Industry?
How much money you can make is up to you. Your income may range from $20-$300/hr or $5,000 extra cash on the side to $300,000 a year. You can 2x or 10x your full-time salary, in fewer hours than you worked as an employee.
Katerina, a Freelance Accelerator: from Surviving to Thriving (FAST) grad, earned more in her first year of freelancing than she did the previous year in her full-time industry job.
“In my first year of freelancing I have already surpassed my earnings from when I was working full-time for a brand!” – Katerina Dimovska, Textile Designer from Macedonia
The biggest factor that will affect your earning potential is how confidently you set your rates and present yourself.
The worst mistake most fashion freelancers make when it comes to money is undercharging or thinking they’re not “good enough.”
It took FAST grad Alexandra (LinkedIn), who earns more in one day of freelancing than she did in 2 weeks at her last industry full-time job, a year of freelancing before she realized her worth.
“I got a client a few months ago from the SSF facebook group that has been SO amazing to work with. It really put into perspective my worth$$ and raised my confidence / standards on the type of clients I’ll work with. It’s so so true the saying like, the more money a client is willing to pay the easier they are to work with! It’s such a relief having someone trust me, not having to justify the work I’m producing.” – Alexandra Agreda, 3D Pattern Maker from Pennsylvania
🎧 Episode 134: How to Be A Remote Freelance Patternmaker
Now, you may make assumptions about people like Alexandra and think “of course she can make that much, she probably has a degree from FIT and years of experience.”
Not. True.
Alexandra is a fashion school dropout who spent her first 5 working years doing nothing related to fashion. Yet she earns more in ONE DAY as a freelancer than she did in TWO WEEKS as an employee.
You don’t need a degree or a kajillion years of experience to make a lot of money freelancing in fashion.
Like FAST grad Alison (LinkedIn) who started her freelance career with just a few years of industry experience.
“I’m earning 75% more as a freelancer than I did as an employee. And I’m working a comfortable 40 hours.” – Alison Hoenes, Pattern Maker from Missouri
🎧 Episode 103: How to Make More Money as a Fashion Freelancer (than in a full-time job)
It also doesn’t take a crazy long time to start making serious cash (like it does with your own fashion brand or climbing the corporate ladder).
Look at Connie (LinkedIn), a FAST grad who started freelancing during the pandemic and in less than a year, built a team of 6 freelancers because she had so many clients.
“Signed 2 new clients this week! Rough dollar amount of the two projects I scored from the FB group has been about $15k!” – Connie Bourgeois, Fashion Designer from Missouri
🎧 Episode 228: How this Freelance Fashion Designer Built A MILLION Dollar Design Agency
In 2022, Connie’s fashion design agency brought in over ONE MILLION dollars. I am not making this up.
What Freelance Jobs Make the Most Money in Fashion?
While I don’t recommend choosing a fashion career just for the money, I’ve seen firsthand which freelance roles pay well from my 15+ years of experience in the industry and coaching hundreds of fashion freelancers in my FAST programs.
Of course, things like where you live, your experience level, and your confidence all play a role in what you can charge. But in general, here are some of the highest-earning freelance jobs in fashion.
| Highest Paying Jobs in Fashion | Mid-Paying Jobs in Fashion | Lowest Paying Jobs in Fashion |
| – Specialized pattern maker (i.e. large cup lingerie, denim) – Pattern Maker – Business Consulting / Strategy | – Technical Designer – 3D Fashion Designer – Product Developer – Sourcing Specialist – Customs Coordinator | – Fashion Designer – Trend Researcher / Forecasting – Assistant Role (i.e. drawing fashion flats) |
*Some roles float between high/mid or mid/low. For example, I know pattern makers who charge $30/hr and designers who charge $150+/hr. While “on paper” some jobs pay more than others, the true earning potential is up to you, how well you present yourself, and how specialized you are.
Want to see what real freelancers are charging? I put together a full breakdown of rates from 100+ real fashion freelancers – you can check it out here: How Much Do Fashion Freelancers Charge? (100+ Real-Life Examples)
Generally, the more specialized your skill (and the fewer people that offer that skill), the more money you can make in the fashion industry.
Being a “jack of all trades” doesn’t pay.
When your skills are specialized and niche, you’re more of an expert (and there are fewer people who offer the same thing). Which means you can charge a higher rate.
Also, glamour doesn’t (usually) pay.
Design roles and trend forecasting will tend to earn less (lots of people can do it and lots of people want to do it) and more technical skills like patternmaking tend to earn more (fewer people are qualified to do it and it’s less glamorous).
FAST grad Mari, a Puerto Rican living in NYC, specializes in sustainable sweater knits. She does everything from design to tech packs and sourcing to product development.
Because she’s so specialized in her niche of sustainable knit sweaters, she’s regularly sending $2-3k invoices and consistently earns between $5,000-$10,000 every month working part-time.
What Should You Do To Get Paid Well in Fashion?
It took me slogging through my own clothing line and the exhausted employee rat race to figure out that freelancing is the best way to have work-life balance AND make a lot of money in fashion.
Here’s how to get there in six simple steps:
- Don’t start a clothing line
- Get out of the exhausted employee rat race
- Become a successful fashion freelancer
- Offer a niche / specialized service
- Set a competitive rate
- Confidently pitch yourself
My free Ultimate Guide to Being a Freelance Fashion Designer is the best place to start.
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