Costume Attendants
Also called: Costumer, Dresser, Wardrobe Assistant, Wardrobe SupervisorSelect, 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 the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 5.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other entertainment attendants and related workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 11.1 hires for every 10 job openings in arts, entertainment, and recreation, which employs about 61% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.11.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,910 | $28,300 to $35,910 | 50 |
| Arizona | $37,430 | $37,020 to $50,830 | 60 |
| California | $72,030 | $43,930 to $109,520 | 1,620 |
| Colorado | $57,960 | $49,420 to $63,080 | 40 |
| Connecticut | $44,550 | $42,110 to $53,600 | 60 |
| District of Columbia | $53,290 | $49,640 to $92,940 | 60 |
| Florida | $40,680 | $36,880 to $57,380 | 670 |
| Georgia | $94,890 | $69,980 to $94,940 | 100 |
| Hawaii | $57,660 | $51,060 to $57,690 | 30 |
| Illinois | $49,170 | $38,350 to $57,930 | 140 |
| Indiana | $34,160 | $31,370 to $46,410 | 40 |
| Kentucky | $37,240 | $36,170 to $45,640 | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $55,190 | $43,350 to $58,410 | 90 |
| Michigan | $31,920 | $28,670 to $38,110 | 80 |
| Minnesota | $52,000 | $43,440 to $61,280 | 80 |
| Missouri | $40,800 | $36,240 to $56,890 | 110 |
| Nevada | $55,640 | $42,700 to $79,630 | 390 |
| New Jersey | $45,010 | $40,100 to $54,530 | 100 |
| New York | $95,230 | $60,360 to $96,710 | 950 |
| North Carolina | $33,920 | $31,200 to $45,680 | 50 |
| Ohio | $46,330 | $32,920 to $55,310 | 160 |
| Oregon | $51,680 | $42,180 to $57,080 | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,270 | $44,760 to $59,420 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $33,510 | $32,230 to $42,690 | 50 |
| Tennessee | $45,220 | $38,760 to $56,220 | 50 |
| Texas | $28,440 | $25,160 to $47,230 | 550 |
| Utah | $47,850 | $41,810 to $52,550 | 140 |
| Virginia | $46,790 | $33,900 to $47,470 | 40 |
| Washington | $64,650 | $46,870 to $69,270 | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $38,470 | $32,150 to $47,950 | 160 |
Nationally: $50,400. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs. | Not published |
| Not much | Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status. | Not published |
| Not much | Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| AI + software | Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved. | Not published |
| AI + software | Collaborate with production designers, costume designers, or other production staff to discuss and execute costume design details. | Not published |
| Not much | Return borrowed or rented items when productions are complete and return other items to storage. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study books, pictures, or examples of period clothing to determine styles worn during specific periods in history. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor, maintain, or secure inventories of costumes, wigs, or makeup, providing keys or access to assigned directors, costume designers, or wardrobe mistresses/masters. | Not published |
| AI + software | Purchase, rent, or requisition costumes or other wardrobe necessities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review scripts or other production information to determine a story's locale or period, as well as the number of characters and required costumes. | Not published |
| Not much | Inventory stock to determine types or conditions of available costuming. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct the work of wardrobe crews during dress rehearsals or performances. | Not published |
| Not much | Assign lockers to employees and maintain locker rooms, dressing rooms, wig rooms, or costume storage or laundry areas. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide managers with budget recommendations and take responsibility for budgetary line items related to costumes, storage, or makeup needs. | Not published |
| Not much | Participate in the hiring, training, scheduling, or supervision of alteration workers. | Not published |
| Not much | Care for non-clothing items, such as flags, table skirts, or draperies. | Not published |
| Not much | Recommend vendors and monitor their work. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #16 Create artistic designs or performances
- #25 Communicate with others about specifications or project details
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Study details of artistic productions | |||
| Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Create artistic designs or performances | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Purchase goods or services |
Show all 19 activities
| Maintain facilities or equipment | |||
| Arrange displays or decorations | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Perform human resources activities | |||
| Evaluate production inputs or outputs | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Assign work to others | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Supervise personnel activities |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for costume attendants specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,144 moves out
- 1 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 12%
- 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 11%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 11%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 2,319 moves in
- 1 Software Developers, Applications (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 10%
- 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 10% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 8% postsecondary certificate
- 15% some college
- 4% associate's
- 30% bachelor's
- 2% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 39 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 17% less than high school
- 29% high school
- 29% some college
- 7% associate's
- 16% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other entertainment attendants and related workers” · 3,124 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other entertainment attendants and related workers”
1 program: Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
<10% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Wardrobe Supervisor). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Costume Attendants” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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