What Does a Costume Shop Manager Do?
Stage productions often have large casts who need costumes built, fitted and kept in repair through every performance. As a costume shop manager you'll hire the stitchers, set the build schedule and keep the shop's budget in line. This might involve fabric buying, fittings, rentals or quick repairs between shows, usually in a university theater department or a professional company.
Also known as: Costume Shop Coordinator
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Apparel and Accessories Designer, Apparel Designer, Costume Designer, Designer, Fashion Design Contractor, Fashion Designer, Fashion Graphic Designer, Fashion Stylist.
Costume Shop Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a costume shop manager include:
- Hire, schedule and supervise drapers, stitchers, wardrobe crew and student workers in the costume shop.
- Plan the build calendar with costume designers, setting fitting dates and deadlines for each show.
- Manage the shop budget; price fabric, trims and rentals and track spending per production.
- Buy fabric, thread, zippers and other supplies from vendors, keeping receipts and purchase records in order.
- Schedule and run actor fittings, noting alterations and passing them to the right stitcher.
- Maintain the costume stock: clean, label, store and pull pieces for new productions.
- Arrange costume rentals and loans with other theaters, tracking what goes out and comes back.
- Oversee laundry, repairs and quick-change setups through the wardrobe crew during each run.
- Teach students sewing, patterning and shop safety in classes or supervised shop hours.
- Service sewing machines, sergers and steamers and arrange repairs when they break down.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a costume shop manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Advanced sewing, draping and pattern drafting
- Budgeting and purchasing for productions
- Costume history and fabric knowledge
- Supervising mixed teams of staff and students
- Industrial sewing machine and serger care
- Scheduling in Excel or Google Calendar
- Calm during the final rehearsals before opening
- Tact with designers, directors and actors
Education and Training
Years of stitching and draping in a costume shop come first, since a manager has to solve construction problems on deadline. Most managers also hold a bachelor's degree in theater or costume design. Graduate study in costume technology opens doors, especially where the job includes teaching students.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $51,940 - $106,470 per year, with a median of $80,960.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Fashion Designers.
According to BLS, employment of fashion designers, the wider group that includes costume designers, is projected to change by only about 0.1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,500 openings a year. Theater costume staff are a small, specialized group within it. And, as long as there are plays, operas and dance seasons to dress, shop managers will be needed to make sure performers look right under the lights.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Fashion designers.
Costume Shop Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $39,490 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $51,940 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $80,960 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $106,470 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $146,870 |
Highest-Paying States for Costume Shop Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Massachusetts ($103,520), New Jersey ($101,610), New Hampshire ($100,160), New York ($98,640), Colorado ($94,140). Pay is lowest in Minnesota ($42,110), Indiana ($40,740), Texas ($40,040).
Median pay in all 23 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Arizona | $45,720 |
| Colorado | $94,140 |
| Connecticut | $81,510 |
| Florida | $43,020 |
| Georgia | $78,340 |
| Hawaii | $47,990 |
| Indiana | $40,740 |
| Kansas | $59,150 |
| Maine | $49,530 |
| Massachusetts | $103,520 |
| Michigan | $63,430 |
| Minnesota | $42,110 |
| New Hampshire | $100,160 |
| New Jersey | $101,610 |
| New York | $98,640 |
| North Carolina | $74,990 |
| Ohio | $82,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,840 |
| Texas | $40,040 |
| Vermont | $79,610 |
| Virginia | $94,120 |
| Washington | $82,030 |
| Wisconsin | $57,030 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as fashion designers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 82% use email every day
- 75% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 55% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 49% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 49% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week
- 49% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 47% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 51% |
| Associate's degree | 44% |
Tools and Software Costume Shop Managers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy creative work and self-expression as well as hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.
Knowledge areas used most: Design, Computers and Electronics, Production and Processing, Sales and Marketing, English Language.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 27-1022.00 (Fashion Designers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.