Costume Attendants
Costume Attendants (SOC 39-3092) earn a median $50,400 a year ($24.23 an hour) in the United States, with 6,510 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What costume attendants do
Costume attendants choose, fit, and look after costumes for cast members, and they help entertainers, sometimes through several costume changes mid-performance. They put costumes in the order they will be used so quick changes go smoothly, help cast members dress or assign dressers to particular performers, and prepare worksheets such as dressing lists, show notes, and costume checks. They study how a costume fits a performer and sketch or jot down alterations. Some design or build costumes, or send them out to tailors for construction, major repair, or alteration, and they hand out costumes and equipment while tracking each item's status. They view costumes on stage or under lights to see whether the intended effect is achieved, and they clean and press costumes around performances and mend them lightly. Related titles run to costume cutter, costume draper, and costume dresser.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 32 percent).
Also called: Costume Attendant, Costume Cutter, Costume Draper, Costume Dresser, Costume Mistress.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.46 | $18.56 | $24.23 | $37.34 | $52.66 | $30.50 | 6,510 |
| Annual | $32,150 | $38,610 | $50,400 | $77,680 | $109,520 | $63,440 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where costume attendants earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $20.10 | $29.02 | $45.78 | $46.49 | $64.66 | $40.86 | 950 | 0.10 | 2.33 |
| Annual | $41,810 | $60,360 | $95,230 | $96,710 | $134,490 | $84,990 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $23.20 | $33.64 | $45.62 | $45.64 | $52.43 | $40.71 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $48,260 | $69,980 | $94,890 | $94,940 | $109,050 | $84,670 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.36 | $21.12 | $34.63 | $52.66 | $61.15 | $41.61 | 1,620 | 0.09 | 2.12 |
| Annual | $38,190 | $43,930 | $72,030 | $109,520 | $127,180 | $86,540 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $20.28 | $22.53 | $31.08 | $33.30 | $35.91 | $29.39 | 120 | 0.03 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $42,180 | $46,870 | $64,650 | $69,270 | $74,690 | $61,130 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $19.10 | $23.76 | $27.86 | $30.33 | $37.25 | $27.57 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $39,720 | $49,420 | $57,960 | $63,080 | $77,470 | $57,340 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $18.36 | $21.12 | $34.63 | $52.66 | $61.15 | $41.61 | 1,620 | 0.09 | 2.12 |
| Annual | $38,190 | $43,930 | $72,030 | $109,520 | $127,180 | $86,540 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $20.10 | $29.02 | $45.78 | $46.49 | $64.66 | $40.86 | 950 | 0.10 | 2.33 |
| Annual | $41,810 | $60,360 | $95,230 | $96,710 | $134,490 | $84,990 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.34 | $17.73 | $19.56 | $27.59 | $31.52 | $23.07 | 670 | 0.07 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $33,980 | $36,880 | $40,680 | $57,380 | $65,560 | $47,990 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.22 | $12.10 | $13.67 | $22.71 | $27.51 | $17.71 | 550 | 0.04 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $23,330 | $25,160 | $28,440 | $47,230 | $57,220 | $36,840 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $15.00 | $20.53 | $26.75 | $38.28 | $41.88 | $28.58 | 390 | 0.25 | 6.00 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $42,700 | $55,640 | $79,630 | $87,110 | $59,450 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.65 | $22.07 | $51.35 | $61.04 | $61.17 | $46.71 | 1,210 | 0.19 | 4.62 |
| Annual | $38,800 | $45,900 | $106,810 | $126,960 | $127,240 | $97,150 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.92 | $29.36 | $45.78 | $46.50 | $64.66 | $41.17 | 890 | 0.09 | 2.25 |
| Annual | $43,520 | $61,070 | $95,230 | $96,710 | $134,490 | $85,630 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $23.20 | $45.41 | $45.63 | $45.64 | $59.49 | $42.62 | 70 | 0.03 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $48,260 | $94,450 | $94,900 | $94,940 | $123,750 | $88,650 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $22.95 | $24.32 | $33.62 | $34.65 | $58.22 | $35.90 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $47,740 | $50,590 | $69,930 | $72,070 | $121,090 | $74,680 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $20.28 | $26.39 | $31.47 | $33.30 | $35.91 | $30.01 | 110 | 0.05 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $42,180 | $54,890 | $65,460 | $69,270 | $74,690 | $62,410 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.65 | $22.07 | $51.35 | $61.04 | $61.17 | $46.71 | 1,210 | 0.19 | 4.62 |
| Annual | $38,800 | $45,900 | $106,810 | $126,960 | $127,240 | $97,150 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.92 | $29.36 | $45.78 | $46.50 | $64.66 | $41.17 | 890 | 0.09 | 2.25 |
| Annual | $43,520 | $61,070 | $95,230 | $96,710 | $134,490 | $85,630 | ||||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Hourly | $16.34 | $17.73 | $21.05 | $27.59 | $29.98 | $22.97 | 540 | 0.38 | 9.14 |
| Annual | $33,980 | $36,880 | $43,780 | $57,380 | $62,350 | $47,770 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $16.76 | $21.60 | $27.26 | $39.00 | $42.00 | $29.59 | 350 | 0.31 | 7.44 |
| Annual | $34,860 | $44,940 | $56,690 | $81,120 | $87,370 | $61,540 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $12.10 | $12.10 | $21.99 | $24.19 | $28.41 | $19.92 | 210 | 0.06 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $25,160 | $25,160 | $45,750 | $50,300 | $59,100 | $41,440 | ||||
Top industries employing costume attendants
Performing Arts Companies employ 35.6% of costume attendants nationally (2,320 jobs) at a median $50,300 a year ($24.19 an hour), followed by Motion Picture and Video Industries (17.1%) and Amusement Parks and Arcades (12.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performing Arts Companies NAICS 711100 | 2,320 | 35.6% | $50,300 | $24.19 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100 | 1,110 | 17.1% | $108,330 | $52.08 |
| Amusement Parks and Arcades NAICS 713100 | 780 | 12.0% | $38,800 | $18.65 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 510 | 7.8% | $45,620 | $21.93 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 400 | 6.1% | $48,400 | $23.27 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (6,510). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,850 for costume attendants in May 2021 and $50,400 in May 2025, with employment of 3,380 and 6,510.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,850 | $23.00 | 3,380 |
| May 2022 | $48,470 | $23.30 | 5,730 |
| May 2023 | $52,370 | $25.18 | 6,300 |
| May 2024 | $54,810 | $26.35 | 6,290 |
| May 2025 | $50,400 | $24.23 | 6,510 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
30 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $45.78 | $95,230 | $41,810 | $134,490 | 950 | 0.10 | 2.33 |
| 2 | Georgia profile | $45.62 | $94,890 | $48,260 | $109,050 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.50 |
| 3 | California profile | $34.63 | $72,030 | $38,190 | $127,180 | 1,620 | 0.09 | 2.12 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $31.08 | $64,650 | $42,180 | $74,690 | 120 | 0.03 | 0.80 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $27.86 | $57,960 | $39,720 | $77,470 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.33 |
| 6 | Hawaii profile | $27.72 | $57,660 | $39,260 | $62,550 | 30 | 0.05 | 1.22 |
| 7 | Nevada profile | $26.75 | $55,640 | $31,200 | $87,110 | 390 | 0.25 | 6.00 |
| 8 | Massachusetts profile | $26.54 | $55,190 | $35,770 | $70,970 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.61 |
| 9 | District of Columbia profile | $25.62 | $53,290 | $46,890 | $105,660 | 60 | 0.08 | 1.95 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $25.00 | $52,000 | $37,350 | $72,570 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.64 |
| 11 | Oregon profile | $24.85 | $51,680 | $37,090 | $58,010 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.72 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania profile | $24.17 | $50,270 | $33,730 | $59,420 | 260 | 0.04 | 1.04 |
| 13 | Illinois profile | $23.64 | $49,170 | $34,840 | $63,320 | 140 | 0.02 | 0.56 |
| 14 | Utah profile | $23.00 | $47,850 | $32,550 | $66,710 | 140 | 0.08 | 1.93 |
| 15 | Virginia profile | $22.49 | $46,790 | $30,950 | $57,850 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.25 |
| 16 | Ohio profile | $22.27 | $46,330 | $31,120 | $58,100 | 160 | 0.03 | 0.69 |
| 17 | Tennessee profile | $21.74 | $45,220 | $38,760 | $85,380 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.35 |
| 18 | New Jersey profile | $21.64 | $45,010 | $32,730 | $133,650 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.55 |
| 19 | Connecticut profile | $21.42 | $44,550 | $38,100 | $65,530 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.79 |
| 20 | Missouri profile | $19.62 | $40,800 | $30,720 | $61,490 | 110 | 0.04 | 0.88 |
| 21 | Florida profile | $19.56 | $40,680 | $33,980 | $65,560 | 670 | 0.07 | 1.61 |
| 22 | Wisconsin profile | $18.50 | $38,470 | $31,280 | $67,610 | 160 | 0.06 | 1.31 |
| 23 | Arizona profile | $18.00 | $37,430 | $35,090 | $63,290 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.46 |
| 24 | Kentucky profile | $17.90 | $37,240 | $31,850 | $48,310 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.43 |
| 25 | Alabama profile | $17.26 | $35,910 | $27,950 | $47,150 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.59 |
| 26 | Indiana profile | $16.42 | $34,160 | $30,530 | $58,560 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.32 |
| 27 | North Carolina profile | $16.31 | $33,920 | $23,390 | $55,430 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.22 |
| 28 | South Carolina profile | $16.11 | $33,510 | $31,390 | $48,560 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.56 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $15.34 | $31,920 | $27,270 | $48,090 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.43 |
| 30 | Texas profile | $13.67 | $28,440 | $23,330 | $57,220 | 550 | 0.04 | 0.93 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (39-3090), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Personal Care and Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 39-3092 Costume Attendants.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 39-3092, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 39-3092.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.