Production · Career brief

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$62,750

Middle-of-the-pack pay

2025 national median. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

-15%

Projected employment decline

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Bottom quarter for growth among careers on ChooseField.

3Openings

200

Low national opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Bottom quarter for openings among careers on ChooseField.

4Route in

High school

A four-year degree is not the typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Hands-on

Practical work with tools, systems, or physical environments

Create a master pattern for each size within a range of garment sizes, using charts, drafting instruments, computers, or grading devices.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects employment to shrink 15% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if hands-on work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a high-school entry path. Main tradeoff: BLS projects employment to shrink 15% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

Before choosing, compare:Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers with another field Explore rankings in Production Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$62,750

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

-15%employment growth200openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

3,000

A small national occupation; local availability may be uneven.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Fabric and apparel patternmakers (51-6092).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Create a master pattern for each size within a range of garment sizes, using charts, drafting instruments, computers, or grading devices.
Make adjustments to patterns after fittings.
Compute dimensions of patterns according to sizes, considering stretching of material.
Mark samples and finished patterns with information, such as garment size, section, style, identification, and sewing instructions.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS projects employment to shrink 15% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Getting Information4.4
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.2
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.0
Thinking Creatively3.9

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Realistic5.7
Artistic5.4
Conventional4.2
Enterprising1.5
Investigative1.3
Social1.3

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Design Mathematics Production and Processing Engineering and Technology

Software and tools named in job postings

Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Autodesk AutoCAD

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Take a supervised shop, maker, or trade class and finish one project while following its measurement, cleanup, and safety rules.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Fabric and apparel patternmakers nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Active Learning among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions. Examples of tools used in the occupation include Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD; check which ones employers near you actually require.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options