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Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers vs Fashion Designers

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers and Fashion Designers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Fashion Designers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$67,670
$80,690
Employment · BLS OEWS
2,860
20,910
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
26th pct
84th pct

At a glance

Dimension Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers Fashion Designers
Median pay $67,670 $80,690
Employment 2,860 20,910
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection Declining (-10.2%) About average (+2.0%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 300 2,300
Typical education · O*NET Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
AI exposure · published exposure studies Low · 26th pct High · 84th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 21st pct · 17% of tasks 65th pct · 35% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index — Augmentation-leaning (45.1%)
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman Yes Yes

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: Design, Visualization, Near Vision, English Language, Production and Processing, Critical Thinking, Originality, Information Ordering, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Active Listening, Oral Comprehension, Category Flexibility, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Fluency of Ideas, Problem Sensitivity, Inductive Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Learning, Monitoring, Written Expression, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Writing.

Specific to Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

  • Mathematics
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Number Facility
  • Finger Dexterity
  • Education and Training
  • Perceptual Speed
  • Selective Attention
  • Mathematics

Specific to Fashion Designers

  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Visual Color Discrimination
  • Persuasion
  • Negotiation
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Instructing
  • Service Orientation

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Graphics or photo imaging software , Computer aided design CAD software , Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Desktop publishing software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software .

Specific to Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

    Specific to Fashion Designers

    Full profiles

    This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers or Fashion Designers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

    More comparisons

    Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

    Sources for this page

    Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

    Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

    Cite this page
    Plain

    Singulariki. "Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers vs Fashion Designers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers-vs-fashion-designers

    APA

    Singulariki. (2026). Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers vs Fashion Designers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers-vs-fashion-designers

    BibTeX 
    @misc{singulariki-fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers-vs-fashion-designers,
  title  = {Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers vs Fashion Designers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers-vs-fashion-designers}
}

    Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.