How to hire costume attendants
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances. • Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved. • Clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs. • Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks. • Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations. • Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status. • Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations. • Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, monitoring and speaking skills • Working knowledge of fine arts • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $24.23 an hour ($50,400 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for costume attendants
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What costume attendants do
- Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
- Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved.
- Clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs.
- Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks.
- Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations.
- Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status.
- Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations.
- Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for costume attendants
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +5.9% over ten years, faster than average · about 1,700 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay costume attendants
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| New York | $95,230 |
| California | $72,030 |
| Florida | $40,680 |
| Texas | $28,440 |
See costume attendants pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Fashion Designers
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers
- Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
- Set and Exhibit Designers
- Sewers, Hand
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
- Interior Designers
- Sewing Machine Operators
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.