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Clothing Patternmaker salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a clothing patternmaker is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,800 since 2018.
Pay follows the award or enterprise agreement covering the employer, so a manufacturer, a sample room and a retail label can pay differently for similar work. Confidence with a particular CAD system and the ability to grade a full size range move you into the higher bands, and senior patternmakers who look after a product area or a whole label's sizing are usually the best paid in the room.
Roles that pay more than clothing patternmaker
The largest typical pay rise is $13,000 a year, moving into Textile Designer.
- Textile Designer+$13,000/yr
How to negotiate a higher clothing patternmaker salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time clothing patternmaker salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Craft and handmade production and Creative software production tend to command a premium over general clothing patternmaker experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Textile Designer pays a typical $13,000 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Clothing Patternmaker salary questions
How much do clothing patternmakers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a clothing patternmaker is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is clothing patternmaker pay rising or falling?
The median clothing patternmaker salary is up $13,800 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than clothing patternmaker?
Textile Designer pays a typical $13,000 a year more and draws on similar skills to clothing patternmaker.