Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
Also called: Designer, Pattern Designer, Pattern Maker, Production Pattern MakerDraw and construct sets of precision master fabric patterns or layouts. May also mark and cut fabrics and apparel.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 16 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 15.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other textile, apparel, and furnishings workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.4 hires for every 10 job openings in nondurable goods manufacturing, which employs about 47% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.8.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $89,010 | $64,690 to $99,740 | 930 |
| Florida | $33,790 | $33,790 to $38,450 | 380 |
| Indiana | $59,400 | $45,750 to $79,990 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $47,680 | $43,460 to $61,480 | not published |
| Mississippi | $41,060 | $31,310 to $46,520 | 30 |
| Missouri | $56,490 | $41,600 to $62,850 | 50 |
| New York | $101,230 | $71,070 to $130,150 | 670 |
| North Carolina | $48,180 | $36,670 to $58,420 | 270 |
| Ohio | $49,220 | $39,890 to $60,190 | 30 |
| Oregon | $55,740 | $45,100 to $67,140 | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,900 | $52,570 to $83,200 | 40 |
| Texas | $34,930 | $26,670 to $41,170 | 70 |
| Virginia | $45,390 | $37,780 to $63,090 | 40 |
Nationally: $62,750. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 16 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Mark samples and finished patterns with information, such as garment size, section, style, identification, and sewing instructions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Draw outlines of pattern parts by adapting or copying existing patterns, or by drafting new patterns. | Not published |
| Not much | Make adjustments to patterns after fittings. | Not published |
| Not much | Position and cut out master or sample patterns, using scissors and knives, or print out copies of patterns, using computers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Create a paper pattern from which to mass-produce a design concept. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
See all 16 tasks
| Not much | Examine sketches, sample articles, and design specifications to determine quantities, shapes, and sizes of pattern parts, and to determine the amount of material or fabric required to make a product. | Not published |
| Not much | Test patterns by making and fitting sample garments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine the best layout of pattern pieces to minimize waste of material, and mark fabric accordingly. | Not published |
| Not much | Compute dimensions of patterns according to sizes, considering stretching of material. | Not published |
| AI + software | Input specifications into computers to assist with pattern design and pattern cutting. | Not published |
| Not much | Discuss design specifications with designers, and convert their original models of garments into patterns of separate parts that can be laid out on a length of fabric. | Not published |
| AI + software | Create a master pattern for each size within a range of garment sizes, using charts, drafting instruments, computers, or grading devices. | Not published |
| Not much | Trace outlines of paper onto cardboard patterns, and cut patterns into parts to make templates. | Not published |
| Not much | Trace outlines of specified patterns onto material, and cut fabric, using scissors. | Not published |
| AI + software | Create design specifications to provide instructions on garment sewing and assembly. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 16 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 16 tasks fall under 11 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #31 Program computer systems or production equipment
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design materials or devices | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Program computer systems or production equipment | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Position tools or equipment |
Show all 11 activities
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report28%
- Advice or a recommendation22%
- Math or a calculation17%
- Data or a spreadsheet11%
- A chart or visualization6%
How they worked with Claude
6% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for fabric and apparel patternmakers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,014 moves out
- 1 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 27%
- 2 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers High +5.4% 26%
- 3 Designers, All Other High +1.2% 12%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 11%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 846 moves in
- 1 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers High +5.4% 25%
- 2 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 12%
- 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 7%
- 4 Sewing Machine Operators Low -15.1% 7%
- 5 Designers, All Other High +1.2% 5%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 3% less than high school
- 41% high school
- 12% postsecondary certificate
- 19% some college
- 26% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 21 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 18% less than high school
- 26% high school
- 29% some college
- 12% associate's
- 14% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other textile, apparel, and furnishings workers” · 137 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
1 program: Apparel and Textile Manufacture.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (DESIGN & PATTERNMAKER SHOE; PATTERMAKER (Textiles)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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