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Apparel & Accessories Marketing

Types of Degrees Apparel & Accessories Marketing Majors Are Earning

Those studying Apparel & Accessories Marketing may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	3
Associate’s Degree	24
Bachelor’s Degree	10
Master’s Degree	40

What Apparel & Accessories Marketing Majors Need to Know

Programs in Apparel & Accessories Marketing emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Apparel & Accessories Marketing graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Apparel & Accessories Marketing emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Sales and Marketing — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Apparel & Accessories Marketing program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Persuasion — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Apparel & Accessories Marketing careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Apparel & Accessories Marketing graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Selling or Influencing Others	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Apparel & Accessories Marketing professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
LinkedIn	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Apparel & Accessories Marketing graduates include:

• Exporter
• Textile Broker
• Hotel Supplies Salesperson
• Consignee
• Shoe Findings Sales Representative
• Field Service Representative
• Recreation Sales Representative
• Motor Vehicle Supply Sales Representative
• Livestock Commission Agent
• Toilet Preparations Sales Representative
• Barber and Beauty Equipment Sales Representative
• Artists Materials Sales Representative
• Tobacco Drummer
• School Equipment Sales Representative
• Office Materials Sales Representative

What Can You Do With a Apparel & Accessories Marketing Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Apparel & Accessories Marketing commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	6.0%	$29,657	$23,253–$36,061

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Apparel & Accessories Marketing graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	28.1%
Some college courses	9.9%
Master’s degree	9.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.7%
Less than a high school diploma	2.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Apparel & Accessories Marketing?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 88.3% of Apparel & Accessories Marketing degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	68	88.3%
Men	9	11.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Apparel & Accessories Marketing graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	38	49.4%
Asian	8	10.4%
Hispanic or Latino	12	15.6%
Black or African American	9	11.7%
Race Unknown	1	1.3%
International Students	9	11.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Apparel & Accessories Marketing Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Apparel & Accessories Marketing graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,031
4 years	$44,812
5 years	$50,781

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $50,781 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Apparel & Accessories Marketing Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Apparel & Accessories Marketing graduates earn a median of $44,812 four years after completion — roughly 18% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations	3,606
Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General	3,325
Fashion Merchandising	2,847
Digital Marketing	1,303
International Marketing	487
Specialized Merchandising, Sales, and Marketing Operations, Other	233
General Merchandising, Sales, and Related Marketing Operations, Other	223
Marketing Research	200
Special Products Marketing Operations	145
Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations	144
Hospitality and Recreation Marketing Operations	53
Vehicle and Vehicle Parts and Accessories Marketing Operations	41

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.