Also called: Military Clothing Designer, Uniform Development Engineer
Designs and tests the uniforms troops wear, from dress blues to flame-resistant combat clothing and women's body armor.
Designers at places like the Army's DEVCOM Soldier Center in Natick, Massachusetts, sketch and pattern new uniforms, sew prototypes, and fit them on soldiers. They run field tests for comfort, heat and durability, and write the specs factories must follow. One design can be worn by a million people.
Federal civilian or contractor pay, 2026 estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in fashion or apparel design, textile engineering, or a related field.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Fashion Design, Apparel Design, Textile Engineering.
Growing about average. Federal civilian defense jobs track the defense budget; steady hiring with retirements (approx.).
Medium risk for 10 years. 3D design and fit software speed patterns; prototypes and field tests stay human.
Classes: Art, Sewing or fashion class, Geometry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1022.
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.