Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Costume attendants work in a creative support role, helping bring visual concepts to life. This occupation combines hands-on work with strong interpersonal interaction, relying on creativity and innovation, fine motor skills, and physical strength and stamina. Nationally, costume attendants earn a median salary of $54,810, with about 7,000 people employed in this career. Projections indicate 5.9% employment growth and around 2,000 annual openings, suggesting a steady flow of opportunities for new and experienced workers. Typical entry into this field is possible with a high school diploma or equivalent, supported by skills such as project management, leadership, mechanical ability, science knowledge, and strong speaking, listening, reading, and writing abilities. For people interested in artistic or hands-on careers, this role can be considered alongside similar paths such as musicians and singers, fine artists, merchandise displayers and window trimmers, cooks in private households, or furniture finishers.
Costume attendants earn a national median annual salary of $54,810. However, pay varies substantially by location. Among the top states, New York has the highest listed median salary at $95,230, followed by California at $72,030 and Washington at $64,650. Massachusetts and Colorado offer median salaries of $55,190 and $57,960, respectively. At the metro level, the New York–Newark–Jersey City area stands out at $95,230, while San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara offers $69,930 and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont offers $59,260. Washington–Arlington–Alexandria has a median of $51,280, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton offers $56,000. These figures show that earnings can be significantly higher than the national median in certain states and metros, especially New York and specific California areas, which may influence where experienced professionals or newcomers choose to focus their job search.
Costume attendants have national employment of about 7,000 workers, with projected employment growth of 5.9%. This projected growth, combined with an estimated 2,000 annual openings, indicates that job opportunities are expected to continue emerging over time. The number of annual openings compared with total employment suggests both new positions and turnover-related opportunities. Consistent use of the same 5.9% growth figure in leading states and metros highlights a broadly similar projected trend across locations featured in the data. For students, career changers, or professionals considering this path, the combination of a defined national workforce, positive projected growth, and regular openings can make this a viable option to explore. Individuals comparing this occupation to similar roles—such as musicians and singers, fine artists, merchandise displayers and window trimmers, cooks in private households, or furniture finishers—can factor these employment and growth expectations into their planning.
Location can significantly shape opportunities for costume attendants. Among states, California has the highest employment level at 1,620, followed by New York at 950. Washington lists 120 employed, while Massachusetts and Colorado show 90 and 40, respectively. New York and California also offer higher median salaries—$95,230 in New York and $72,030 in California—paired with strong CareerGPS opportunity scores of 65.78 and 67.38. Massachusetts, Colorado, and Washington offer mid–$50,000 to mid–$60,000 median salaries with opportunity scores between about 56 and 66. At the metro level, New York–Newark–Jersey City and San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara stand out with the highest opportunity scores, 77.27 and 77.42, and median salaries of $95,230 and $69,930. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton also show meaningful opportunities, with mid-range salaries and solid scores. These differences allow career planners to target regions balancing pay, employment size, and opportunity scores.
The typical education requirement for costume attendants is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who may not be planning on extensive formal postsecondary study but are ready to build strong practical and interpersonal skills. The role draws on creativity and innovation, fine motor abilities, and physical strength and stamina, reflecting its hands-on and artistic nature. In addition, interpersonal skills and speaking and listening are important, along with writing and reading, supporting communication and documentation needs. Project management and leadership skills indicate a need to organize tasks, coordinate with others, and sometimes guide activities or small teams. Mechanical skills and science knowledge round out the profile, suggesting value in understanding materials, tools, or basic technical principles. Together, this mix of education level and skill requirements makes the occupation approachable for motivated high school graduates who are prepared to develop these capabilities through training and experience.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
