How To Become A Designer And Patternmaker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a designer and patternmaker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Abby Guido

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a designer and patternmaker. For example, did you know that they make an average of $28.66 an hour? That's $59,612 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 6,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a designer and patternmaker?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreDesigner And PatternmakerUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $59,612

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.8

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.89%

Asian 17.81%

Black or African American 6.64%

Hispanic or Latino 17.25%

Unknown 4.90%

White 52.51%

Gender

female 79.84%

male 20.16%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a designer and patternmaker

Explore designer and patternmaker education requirements

Most common designer and patternmaker degrees

Associate

51.9 %

Bachelor's

43.2 %

High School Diploma

2.5 %

Start to develop specific designer and patternmaker skills

Skills	Percentages
Tech Packs	21.31%
Patternmaking	16.81%
Sketch	9.39%
Measurement Specifications	8.59%
Market Research	7.66%

Complete relevant designer and patternmaker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New designer and patternmakers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a designer and patternmaker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real designer and patternmaker resumes.

Research designer and patternmaker duties and responsibilities

Develop marketing and brand awareness initiatives through social media outlets; create and manage company Facebook and Houzz profiles.
Gain experience in patternmaking for mass production, technical illustrations and designs, product development and supervision of sample production.
Design new product lines from start to finish, patternmaking and design sewing procedures.
Establish and disseminate corporate-wide AutoCAD standards to facilitate the overall design process employing multiple operators.

Prepare your designer and patternmaker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your designer and patternmaker resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a designer and patternmaker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable designer and patternmaker resume templates

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