Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Salary: $75,101 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 2,860 fabric and apparel patternmakers nationally earn a mean of $75,101. Projections imply about 6.2% annual decline; much hiring sits in manufacturing.
Key Statistics
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers: what the data shows
Common questions about fabric and apparel patternmakers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a fabric and apparel patternmakers?
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-6092.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 2,860 workers.
What does a fabric and apparel patternmakers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Thinking Creatively, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a fabric and apparel patternmakers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $67,670 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $75,101 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,126 |
| 25th percentile | $47,215 |
| Median (50th) | $79,451 |
| 75th percentile | $88,511 |
| 90th percentile | $102,741 |
What education do you need?
For Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Learning, Mathematics, and knowledge areas including Design, Mathematics, English Language, Production and Processing. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is fabric and apparel patternmakers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -27.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -47.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 2,860.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do fabric and apparel patternmakerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 2,860 | 20.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 2,860 | 20.6% |
| Manufacturing | 1,590 | 11.4% |
| Apparel Manufacturing | 980 | 7.0% |
| Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 930 | 6.7% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 540 | 3.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other | 14,450 | $37,010 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers workforce.
Employment Over Time
2,860 Workforce in 2023
The Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$75,101 Average Wage
In 2023, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers earned an average of $75,101.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Salary distribution for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Employment Growth Projections
-6.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,508 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -27.5%
1,818 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -47.4%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-3.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -10.6% growth (Current: $76,910)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 910 employees, $73,200 avg wage
- NY: 800 employees, $98,750 avg wage
- NC: 260 employees, $50,710 avg wage
- TX: 120 employees, $36,710 avg wage
- FL: 60 employees, $64,660 avg wage
- MS: 60 employees, $48,310 avg wage
- MO: 50 employees, $62,120 avg wage
- NJ: 50 employees, $73,410 avg wage
- OR: 50 employees, $58,970 avg wage
- PA: 50 employees, $57,170 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 780 employees, $74,780 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 760 employees, $99,400 avg wage
- Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: 120 employees, $53,400 avg wage
- Greensboro-High Point, NC: 90 employees, $46,560 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 60 employees, $43,180 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 40 employees, $60,020 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 40 employees, $63,500 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 30 employees, $59,250 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 30 employees, $76,680 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers in 2023 was 2,860 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers workers.
Education level distribution for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Skills
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Learning.
Required skills for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers include Design, Mathematics, English Language, Production and Processing, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers include Visualization, Near Vision, Information Ordering, Originality, Mathematical Reasoning.
Required abilities for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
Daily Activities
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Thinking Creatively.
Most important work activities for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.
About
Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
The average yearly wage for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers was $75,101 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-6092 - Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers reports an average salary of $75,101.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 2,860 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -6.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.