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Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic vs Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

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

A factual, source-backed comparison of Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic and Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers 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.”

Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$54,540
$67,670
Employment · BLS OEWS
1,570
2,860
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
47th pct
26th pct

At a glance

Dimension Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
Median pay $54,540 $67,670
Employment 1,570 2,860
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection Declining (-24.4%) Declining (-10.2%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 100 300
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 Moderate · 47th pct Low · 26th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 34th pct · 20% of tasks 21st pct · 17% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index — —
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman No 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: Near Vision, Production and Processing, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Mathematics, Design, Problem Sensitivity, Visualization, Manual Dexterity, Quality Control Analysis, Deductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Selective Attention, Finger Dexterity, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Category Flexibility, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Fluency of Ideas, Perceptual Speed, Far Vision, Written Expression.

Specific to Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic

  • Mechanical
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Control Precision
  • Operation and Control
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Multilimb Coordination
  • Visual Color Discrimination

Specific to Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

  • English Language
  • Originality
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Number Facility
  • Education and Training
  • Active Learning
  • Flexibility of Closure
  • Writing

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: Computer aided design CAD software , Spreadsheet software , Electronic mail software .

Specific to Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic

Specific to Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic or Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers — 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. "Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic vs Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers." 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; 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/patternmakers-metal-and-plastic-vs-fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic vs Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/patternmakers-metal-and-plastic-vs-fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-patternmakers-metal-and-plastic-vs-fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers,
  title  = {Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic vs Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; 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/patternmakers-metal-and-plastic-vs-fabric-and-apparel-patternmakers}
}

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