Also called: Denim Developer, Wash & Finish Developer
Creates the faded, distressed, and vintage looks on jeans by designing laser, washing, and finishing recipes.
A denim developer studies a pair of 1980s vintage jeans, then works with a laundry to recreate those fades using lasers, ozone, and stones, testing samples until they match.
Approximate; at denim brands and wash houses.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Fashion or textile degree; learned deeply on the job.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Textile Science, Fashion Design.
Growing about average. Steady niche.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Lasers and ozone machines are computer-controlled; matching a vintage look takes hands-on testing on real fabric.
Classes: Chemistry, Fashion or textiles, Art.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.