Film Career · Costume And Wardrobe
Costume Standby
Costume And Wardrobe · IATSE costume locals (incl. Local 892 for designers)
- Union
- IATSE costume locals
- Day rate
- ~$400–$800/day
- Experience
- 3–7 yrs
What does a Costume Standby do?
A costume standby carries a hands-on craft within the costume and wardrobe department, delivering their specialty daily as part of the department's crew.
On union productions the position falls under IATSE costume locals (incl. Local 892 for designers), which sets the rates, hours, and conditions the role works within. Like every costume and wardrobe role, the job is hired production by production, and repeat work comes from department heads who trust the name on the call sheet.
What does a Costume Standby make?
- Costume crews are paid by the day with overtime: costumers roughly $400-$800 a day, and supervisors and designers above.
- Roughly $60K-$400K+ a year across the department (IATSE Local 705 and the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892).
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) ↗
You’ll like and be good at this job if:
Hard skills
- You know garment craft, fitting, and continuity
Soft skills
- You take pride in doing your specific craft well, day in and day out
- You are a dependable team player who makes the department run
The ladder
Related chairs in this craft family, ordered from entry toward leadership:
- 1Costume Standby (this role)
- 2Principal Costume Standby
Career progression
Within this craft family the recognized progression runs from costume standby toward principal costume standby, with each step earned through set time and the trust of the chairs above. Where this role sits on that ladder is less important than how the costume and wardrobe department works: people move up when the department already believes they can do the next job.
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.
- Costume Standbyyou are here
~$60K–$400K+/yr
~$60K–$400K+/yr
How do you become a Costume Standby?
Careers reach this chair through the costume and wardrobe department ladder: entry work first, then increasing responsibility as the crew learns your name. Smaller productions hand out the title earlier, and the credits transfer.
On covered productions, rates, hours, and conditions for the role are set by IATSE costume locals (incl. Local 892 for designers) contracts.
Covered by a union? The joining a film union guide explains how each one takes members.