Clothing cutter
Also called fur cutter, fabric cutter, garment cutter
Clothing cutters mark, cut, shape, and trim textile or related materials according to blueprints or specifications in the manufacture of wearing apparel.
What you'd do
Garment and related patternmakers and cutters · ILO- Creating a master pattern for each size within a range of garment sizes, using charts, drafting instruments, computers, and/or grading devices
- Creating the blueprint or pattern pieces for a particular apparel design with the aid of a computer
- Calculating dimensions of patterns according to sizes, considering stretching of material
- Drawing details on outlined parts to indicate where parts are to be joined, as well as the positions of pleats, pockets, buttonholes on garments, decorative stitching on shoe parts or eyelets on canvas products using computers or drafting instruments
- Positioning templates or measuring materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields and mark fabric accordingly
- Laying out master pattern on fabric and cutting sample pattern
- Testing patterns by making and fitting sample garments
- Placing patterns on top of layers of fabric and cutting fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters or computer numerically controlled cutting devices
- Cutting fabric or fur pelts to make parts for garments and other fur articles
- Trimming excess material or cutting threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of a finished product
- Positioning leather on cutting bed of machine, maximizing usage according to skin grain, skin flaws and skin stretch
- Performing patternmaking, marking and cutting tasks in the manufacture of other products such as soft furnishings and canvas goods
Cut fabricsCreate patterns for garmentsDistinguish accessoriesDistinguish fabricsBundle fabrics+ 3 more essential skills
What the work is like
- On your feet most of the day
- Some contact with people, mostly with colleagues
- Some freedom to decide
- Usually 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders"
Will there be jobs?
Limited prospectsFewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
910,000 replacing leavers
332,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Right now
5 of 27 countries report a shortage of garment and related patternmakers and cutters, 4 a surplus.
Garment and related patternmakers and cutters · EURESWhat does it pay?
Below averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,800 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among craft and related trades workers in the EU, women earn 26% less per hour than men. Craft and related trades workers · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Upper secondary or vocationalUpper secondary or vocational training in textiles (clothes, footwear and leather) is the usual route.
Highest qualification of food processing, woodworking, garment and other craft and related trades workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 11%Vocational 53%General secondary 10%Basic schooling 26%
Field that teaches it
Textiles (clothes, footwear and leather)
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field
Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High
Average task score 0.17 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 12 tasks
Creating the blueprint or pattern pieces for a particular apparel design with the aid of a computer0.25
Calculating dimensions of patterns according to sizes, considering stretching of material0.25
Drawing details on outlined parts to indicate where parts are to be joined, as well as the positions of pleats, pockets, buttonholes on garments, decorative stitching on shoe parts or eyelets on canvas products using computers or drafting instruments0.22
Testing patterns by making and fitting sample garments0.17
Positioning templates or measuring materials to locate specified points of cuts or to obtain maximum yields and mark fabric accordingly0.15
Creating a master pattern for each size within a range of garment sizes, using charts, drafting instruments, computers, and/or grading devices0.15
Performing patternmaking, marking and cutting tasks in the manufacture of other products such as soft furnishings and canvas goods0.15
Placing patterns on top of layers of fabric and cutting fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters or computer numerically controlled cutting devices0.14
Cutting fabric or fur pelts to make parts for garments and other fur articles0.14
Laying out master pattern on fabric and cutting sample pattern0.14
Positioning leather on cutting bed of machine, maximizing usage according to skin grain, skin flaws and skin stretch0.14
Trimming excess material or cutting threads off finished products, such as cutting loose ends of a finished product0.13
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for garment and related patternmakers and cutters. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).