Costume Attendants: Career Overview
Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.
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What Do Costume Attendants Take On?
The core tasks performed by costume attendants include:
- Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks.
- Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes.
- Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
- Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations.
- Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations.
- Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status.
- Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved.
- Clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs.
What Costume Attendants Need to Know
Top costume attendants combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Costume Attendant
- Costume Cutter
- Costume Draper
- Costume Dresser
- Costume Mistress
- Costume Seamstress
- Costume Shop Coordinator
- Costume Specialist
How Many Costume Attendants Are There?
The U.S. employs around 396,096 costume attendants working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -3.8% over the projection horizon.
Costume Attendants Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $46,757 |
| Hourly median | $22.48 |
| 10th percentile | $29,307 |
| 25th percentile | $38,032 |
| 75th percentile | $55,482 |
| 90th percentile | $64,208 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Costume Attendants Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $80,440 |
| New York | $77,280 |
| Georgia | $68,390 |
| Washington | $62,430 |
| Wisconsin | $59,460 |
| Florida | $59,070 |
| Colorado | $55,270 |
| Hawaii | $55,150 |
| Rhode Island | $49,360 |
| District of Columbia | $48,190 |
| Minnesota | $47,520 |
| Nevada | $47,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,360 |
| Massachusetts | $47,120 |
| Ohio | $46,190 |
| Connecticut | $45,790 |
| Virginia | $44,870 |
| Illinois | $44,690 |
| New Jersey | $44,530 |
| Tennessee | $43,350 |
| Utah | $39,940 |
| Oregon | $37,840 |
| Arizona | $37,660 |
| North Carolina | $37,640 |
| Texas | $37,160 |
| Missouri | $35,850 |
| Indiana | $34,540 |
| South Carolina | $33,870 |
| Michigan | $29,700 |
| Alabama | $29,450 |
Where Costume Attendants Earn the Most
Compensation for costume attendants differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $72,730 | 38.9% | 2.83 |
| Middle Atlantic | $70,183 | 24.1% | 2.48 |
| Southeast | $52,622 | 12.4% | 0.84 |
| New England | $47,062 | 3.6% | 0.96 |
| Great Lakes | $45,105 | 10.7% | 0.79 |
| Rocky Mountains | $44,448 | 2.8% | 1.31 |
| Plains States | $40,295 | 3.5% | 0.92 |
| Southwest | $37,340 | 4.1% | 0.43 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Costume Attendants
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $101,860 | 1,290 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $82,150 | 30 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $80,550 | 1,060 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | WI | $65,580 | 30 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $62,430 | 130 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | FL | $60,860 | 250 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $60,470 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $58,790 |
Which Industries Hire Costume Attendants
The largest employers of costume attendants work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 3,590 | $48,190 |
| Information | 1,320 | $102,160 |
| Educational Services | 610 | $46,700 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 510 | $44,900 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 160 | $87,160 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 60 | $118,060 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for costume attendants reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
Getting Started in This Career
Most costume attendants positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Craft Artists (Supplemental)
- Commercial and Industrial Designers (Supplemental)
- Fashion Designers (Primary-Short)
- Interior Designers (Primary-Long)
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers (Primary-Long)
- Set and Exhibit Designers (Primary-Short)
- Choreographers (Supplemental)
- Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future costume attendants often complete programs in:
Visual and Performing Arts
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 39-3092.00 (Costume Attendants).
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