Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
Draw and construct sets of precision master fabric patterns or layouts. May also mark and cut fabrics and apparel.
What it pays
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers earn a median of $30.17/hr — about $63,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.25/hr; the top 10% earn $59.39/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers earn a median of $30.17/hr — about $63,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.25/hr; the top 10% earn $59.39/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of fabric and apparel patternmakers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, creative and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a fabric and apparel patternmaker make?
- The median pay is $30.17 per hour — roughly $63,000 a year, with the real range running from about $16.25/hr (10th percentile) to $59.39/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a fabric and apparel patternmaker?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a fabric and apparel patternmaker actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.