Film Career · Costume
Wardrobe Supervisor
Costume · IATSE Local 705 (costumers, LA) / Local 764 (NY)
- Union
- IATSE Local 705
- Day rate
- ~$400/day
- Experience
- 4–8 yrs
What does a Wardrobe Supervisor do?
The wardrobe supervisor runs the costume department's set operation: continuity, multiples, aging and distressing, laundry, and the truck. The costume designer decides what characters wear; the supervisor makes sure it is there, correct, and identical for every take.
What does a Wardrobe Supervisor make?
- Day rate about $400 at Local 705 scale (roughly $48-$56 an hour) up to $600-$800 with bumps and overtime, roughly $70K-$140K a year, or $120K-$160K with heavy overtime on a series.
- Earnings are driven almost entirely by hours and length of run rather than rate negotiation.
Film work is gig based, so crew are paid a day or weekly rate rather than a salary. These are realistic 2024-2025 ranges grounded in union rate cards and industry data; actual pay swings with budget tier, market, overtime, and reputation.
Sources & how we estimate pay
Union scale is the floor; the ranges above also reflect market day rates above scale. They are grounded in the following 2024–2025 sources:
Union rate cards & wage schedules
Official guild scale — the floor each craft is paid from.
- IATSE — 2024 Basic Agreement wage scales (PDF) ↗
- IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild) — camera rate cards ↗
- DGA — minimum salary rate cards (director, unit production manager, assistant directors) ↗
- WGA — schedule of minimums (writers) ↗
- SAG-AFTRA — theatrical & background rate sheets (cast, stunts, background) ↗
- Teamsters Local 399 — basic feature wage rates, 2024–27 (transportation, locations, wranglers) (PDF) ↗
On the job
- Run the wardrobe truck and set costumers through shooting
- Maintain continuity with photos, notes, and disciplined systems
- Manage multiples, aging, laundry, and repairs on schedule
- Execute the designer's plan after design handoff
You’ll like and be good at this job if:
Hard skills
- You can run a costume department, continuity, and a budget on set
- You know garment care and fitting logistics
Soft skills
- You are organized and fast
- You stay calm during shooting days
Career progression
The ladder runs costume PA, then set costumer, then supervisor, with the chair leading toward assistant costume designer for those headed to design. Supervisors who never lose continuity become designers' permanent partners.
A typical path, from entry to the top of the craft. Times are rough and vary by market, luck, and how steadily the work comes.
- Set Costumer· 2-4 yrs
~$60K–$400K+/yr
- Key Costumer· 2-4 yrs
~$60K–$400K+/yr
- Wardrobe Supervisoryou are here· peak of the craft
~$70K–$140K/yr
How do you become a Wardrobe Supervisor?
Get on a costume truck in any role and master its systems. Sewing and garment care skills are assumed; the promotion goes to the person whose continuity book is never wrong.
On covered productions, rates, hours, and conditions for the role are set by IATSE Local 705 (costumers, LA) / Local 764 (NY) contracts.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.