Types

• Theater costuming involves many jobs, including costume design, seamstress work, wardrobe management and dressing. Designers create the overall look of the show, while seamstresses create any costumes that need to be custom-made. Costumers also may locate or modify premade costumes, depending on the era of the play, the company budget and the show's needs. Wardrobe mistresses may acquire prebuilt costumes, or in larger companies may simply take care of costume cleaning, repair and inventory. Dressers help the actors into and out of their costumes during performances, and may also be responsible for cleaning and repair. Each of these jobs carries a different responsibility and salary level.
  
  

Average Salaries

• Costume designers make an average of $36,000 per year, according to Simply Hired. This is generally the top-paid position in costuming, requiring the most experience, knowledge and training. As of November 2010, the low end of this salary range is $27,025 per year, while the best-compensated designers make $51,316 annually, including bonuses, notes PayScale.
  
  

Sample Salaries

• Salaries vary greatly by location and type of employer. The costume designer with Spectral Motion in Glendale, California received 48,422 in 2006, while the designer at the Cleveland Playhouse made a mere $24,000 as of 2001, according to SalaryList. Lower-level positions in theatrical costuming can still pay well, depending on the company and location. For example, the wardrobe manager at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas was offered $65,400 annually in 2001, according to SalaryList, which is far above the average designer's salary.
  
  

Regulations

• Professional theaters must meet the payment standards of the local chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). These standards vary by location, but you can contact your local IATSE chapter to find out what the minimum hourly rate is for costumers in your area. Non-union theaters are not held to union pay scale standards, but must pay regular employees according to the state-determined minimum wage laws. Many small theater companies do not employ costumers on a regular basis, and instead contract with costumers on a show-by-show basis for a small stipend.
  
  

Improving Your Pay Rate

• Experience is a key factor in getting paid well, and you must keep a detailed portfolio of your best work to prove your talent and experience to prospective employers. A Master of Fine Arts degree in costume design may also help you get a better-paying costuming job and help you build your portfolio. Master's programs are also an excellent way to make connections in the industry that may lead to potential jobs.