Costume attendants
SOC Code: 39-3092
Costume attendants carries a 36% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $54,810 and +5.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 6,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 36% AI exposure, Costume attendants sits 1 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 56% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
57/100
Costume attendants, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $54,810
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A- +5.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) D 36% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Costume attendants in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Costume attendants keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Costume attendants sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Costume attendants sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
36% Around the middle lower than 44% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Costume attendants vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Costume attendants is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Costume attendants's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 39-3092) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Costume attendants be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Costume attendants. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks.
- 2. Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes.
- 3. Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
- 4. Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations.
- 5. Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations.
- 6. Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status.
- 7. Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved.
- 8. Clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs.
- 9. Collaborate with production designers, costume designers, or other production staff to discuss and execute costume design details.
- 10. Monitor, maintain, or secure inventories of costumes, wigs, or makeup, providing keys or access to assigned directors, costume designers, or wardrobe mistresses/masters.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Service Orientation
- Persuasion
- Negotiation
Knowledge Areas
- Fine Arts
- Design
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Psychology
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Costume attendants?
Costume attendants has an AI exposure score of 36%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Costume attendants?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Costume attendants is projected to grow by 5.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 6,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Costume attendants?
Key skills for Costume attendants include Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Costume attendants earn?
The median annual wage for Costume attendants is $54,810, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Costume attendants?
The typical entry-level education for Costume attendants is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Costume attendants?
Costume attendants roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Costume attendants: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (36% here).
- Amusement and recreation attendants · AI exposure 36%
- Communications teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 36%
- Computer network support specialists · AI exposure 36%
- Computer numerically controlled tool operators · AI exposure 36%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+5.9% here).
- Bartenders · growth +5.9%
- Roofers · growth +5.9%
- Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers, all other · growth +6.0%
- First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers · growth +6.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 23 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Costume attendants' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Costume attendants side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).