With the glitz and glamour often associated with those who work in fashion, you might be surprised to learn that digital editors in the field get paid a modest salary of around $58,000.
That’s according to Fashionista, which recently released its annual salary survey, analyzing data from nearly 3,000 respondents who work in fashion, including advertising, design, editorial, PR, retail, marketing, photography, product development and styling at companies like Condé Nast, Nordstrom, Tiffany & Co. and small firms with under 25 employees.
Breaking down the average salaries for its most common professions, the report indicates these are not lucrative jobs. However, the results reveal a couple of underlying trends: one, as expected, that income increases significantly based on the number of years a person has worked in the industry; and two, that company size also makes a difference, with employees at public companies earning more than those at private ones overall.
There were also some fields that were considerably more profitable than others, such as design, retail and PR, which boasted the largest percentages of salaries over $100,000. As for editorial, the numbers are widely varied: An entry-level assistant editor can make as little as $35,800 while an editor-in-chief can pocket about $264,000.
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Here, a condensed look at the survey’s findings:
Design
Assistant designer: $46,910
Designer: $83,500
Creative director: $130,000
Marketing/Social Media
Marketing manager: $65,650
Social media manager: $62,600
Publicity
Assistant publicist: $65,710
VP: $142,670
Print Editorial
Assistant editor: $35,800
Editor-in-chief: $264,000
Digital Editorial
Writer: $58,540
Senior editor: $58,390
Graphic Design/Photo
Graphic designer: $43,690
Photo editor: $77,230
Advertising
Bookings editor: $168,500
Account executive: $80,640
Styling
Assistant stylist: $49,760
Stylist: $79,380
Retail/Sales/E-commerce
Merchandiser: $61,000
Assistant buyer: $46,680
Product Development/Supply Chain
Development assistant: $36,930
Product manager: $72,440
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