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The national median salary for Costume Attendants is $50,398 per year ($24.23/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $38,605 and $77,667 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $109,533 per year. There are approximately 6,510 costume attendants employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.9%
Faster than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
7K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Performing Arts Companies
NAICS 711100
2K
$50,300
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
1K
$108,330
Amusement Parks and Arcades
NAICS 713100
780
$38,800
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
510
$45,620
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
400
$48,400
Wage range across top 5 industries: $38,800 to $108,330 (179% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$15.46
$32,157
P25
$18.56
$38,605
P50MEDIAN
$24.23
$50,398
P75
$37.34
$77,667
P90
$52.66
$109,533
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average costume attendants salary?
The national median salary for Costume Attendants is $50,398 per year ($24.23/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $38,605 and $77,667 annually.
How much do top-earning costume attendants make?
The 90th percentile salary for Costume Attendants is $109,533 per year ($52.66/hr). The 75th percentile is $77,667 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for costume attendants?
Entry-level Costume Attendants (10th percentile) earn approximately $32,157 per year ($15.46/hr). The 25th percentile is $38,605 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.