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Boston Career Explorer

Personal Care and Service

Costume Attendants

Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.

Also called: Costume Draper, Costume Seamstress, Costumer, Draper, Dresser, Wardrobe Assistant

Median pay in Greater Boston
$56,000
$26.92/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
70
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+7.0%
40 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$39,210$48,180$56,000$58,460$75,470

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure38 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 35
  • Language-model AIOE 38
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 42

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure is moderate, but observed AI use is little or none so far. AI tools could help with paperwork such as dressing lists, show notes, and costume checks. Fitting costumes, helping performers change quickly, and sewing or repair work are hands-on and rely on people.

Likely to change

  • Making dressing lists and show notes
  • Organizing costume checklists and worksheets

Still relies on people

  • Fitting costumes on performers
  • Quick-change help during live shows

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

1 program near Boston

Related occupations

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