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Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers: Job Description

Draw and construct sets of precision master fabric patterns or layouts. May also mark and cut fabrics and apparel.

The Daily Work of Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Perform?

The day-to-day responsibilities of fabric and apparel patternmakers span:

• Create a master pattern for each size within a range of garment sizes, using charts, drafting instruments, computers, or grading devices.
• Input specifications into computers to assist with pattern design and pattern cutting.
• Draw details on outlined parts to indicate where parts are to be joined, as well as the positions of pleats, pockets, buttonholes, and other features, using computers or drafting instruments.
• 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.
• Draw outlines of pattern parts by adapting or copying existing patterns, or by drafting new patterns.
• Test patterns by making and fitting sample garments.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Successful fabric and apparel patternmakers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Core Knowledge

Other Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

• Apparel Patternmaker
• Clothing Pattern Preparer
• Clothing Patternmaker
• Computer Patternmaker
• Cutter
• Designer
• Draper
• Embroidery Operator

How Many Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Are There?

The U.S. employs around 341,384 fabric and apparel patternmakers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +3.9% over the projection horizon.

How Much Do Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Make?

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$38,392
Hourly median	$18.46
10th percentile	$26,029
25th percentile	$32,211
75th percentile	$44,574
90th percentile	$50,755

Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.

How Much Do Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Make in Different U.S. States?

State	Annual median salary
New York	$100,350
New Jersey	$80,860
California	$77,440
Missouri	$69,180
Florida	$65,570
Oregon	$62,120
Pennsylvania	$55,850
Washington	$50,510
North Carolina	$49,980
Mississippi	$44,740
Virginia	$43,010
Texas	$33,300

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Compensation for fabric and apparel patternmakers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Middle Atlantic	$96,795	36.0%	4.09
Far Western US	$75,596	40.0%	2.55
Plains States	$69,180	2.0%	0.98
Southeast	$50,613	17.2%	2.24
Southwest	$33,300	4.8%	0.48

Top Metro Areas

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	NY	$101,620	760
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	CA	$79,820	780
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	CA	$75,460	30
St. Louis, MO-IL	MO	$71,250	40
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	OR	$62,720	40
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	PA	$55,850	30
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	NC	$53,780	120
Greensboro-High Point, NC	NC	$45,910	90

Top Industries Employing Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

The largest employers of fabric and apparel patternmakers work in these industries:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Manufacturing	1,590	$51,610
Management of Companies and Enterprises	540	$101,310
Wholesale Trade	420	$86,220
Retail Trade	130	$72,570
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	80	$65,590
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	70	$70,650

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Tools and Technology

• Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
• Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
• Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
• Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
• Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

Daily working conditions for fabric and apparel patternmakers is shaped by the following characteristics:

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
• Contact With Others
• Freedom to Make Decisions

Education and Training

Most fabric and apparel patternmakers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Related Careers

Similar Occupations

• Craft Artists (Supplemental)
• Commercial and Industrial Designers (Supplemental)
• Fashion Designers (Primary-Short)
• Model Makers, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
• Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
• Tool and Die Makers (Supplemental)
• Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
• Sewing Machine Operators (Primary-Long)

Sources

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 51-6092.00 (Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers).