Textile, Leather And Footwear Researcher
Key facts
Textile, leather and footwear researchers combine knowledge of material sciences, chemistry, physics, process technologies, management, and engineering to contribute to future innovations within the fields of textile, wearing apparel, leather, and footwear. They collaborate in multidisciplinary projects in order to combine findings from a diverse array of science fields for product development.
Textile, leather and footwear researchers blend scientific expertise with a creative problem-solving approach. Your days might involve designing experiments to test new textile treatments, analyzing the durability of leather goods, or exploring sustainable alternatives to traditional footwear components. Collaboration is key, as you’ll often work with engineers, designers, and other scientists to translate research findings into tangible product improvements and entirely new offerings.
- • Conducting research on new materials, technologies, and processes related to textiles, leather, and footwear.
- • Designing and executing experiments to evaluate material properties, performance, and durability.
- • Analyzing data and preparing detailed reports on research findings, often presenting them to stakeholders.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Science and engineering professionals — 274 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ireland and 4 more.
Longest-running shortage: Ireland, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $112,860 2025-05 | +5.7% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2025 * | — | +35.5% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £51,950 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for textile, leather and footwear researcher
The outlook for textile, leather and footwear researcher reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could textile, leather and footwear researcher change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing
- manage scale-up experiments for manufacturing of products
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- distinguish accessories
- distinguish fabrics
- analyse experimental laboratory data
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
A typical day as a textile, leather and footwear researcher
09 09:00 · Morning measure yarn count
10 10:30 · Mid-morning analyse experimental laboratory data
12 12:00 · Midday distinguish accessories
14 14:00 · Afternoon distinguish fabrics
15 15:30 · Late afternoon evaluate textile characteristics
17 17:00 · Wrap-up monitor textile manufacturing developments
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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distinguish accessories
Distinguish accessories in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate accessories based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
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distinguish fabrics
Distinguish fabrics in order to determine differences among them. Evaluate fabrics based on their characteristics and their application in wearing apparel manufacturing.
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monitor textile manufacturing developments
Keep up to date with recent developments in textile manufacturing and processing techniques and technologies.
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seek innovation in current practices
Search for improvements and present innovative solutions, creativity and alternative thinking to develop new technologies, methods or ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
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measure yarn count
Be able to measure yarn length and mass to assess fineness of roving, sliver and yarn in different measuring systems.Also able to convert into the various numbering system such as tex, Nm, Ne, denier, etc.
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reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing
Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.
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maintain work standards
Maintaining standards of work in order to improve and acquire new skills and work methods.
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perform chemical experiments
Perform chemical experiments with the aim of testing various products and substances in order to draw conclusions in terms of product viability and replicability.
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use textile finishing machine technologies
Use textile finishing machine technologies that enable the coating or laminating of fabrics.
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test physical properties of textiles
Evaluate the physical properties of textiles by using testing methods, normally in accordance with a standard. It includes fibre identification and trouble shooting.
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manage scale-up experiments for manufacturing of products
Managing scale-up processes and experimentation in the development of new products or the improvement of existing ones and subsequent transfer to main plant.
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conduct research on trends in design
Conduct research on present and future evolutions and trends in design, and associated target market features.
challenging issues in the textile industry
The efficiency aims and environmental issues posed by challenges in the textile industry.
properties of textile materials
The characteristics and properties of different textile and fabric materials. These include strength, flexibility, elasticity, softness, durability, heat insulation, low weight, water absorbency/repellence, dyeability and resistance to chemicals. Moreover, the influence of chemical composition and molecular arrangement of yarn and fibre properties and fabric structure on the physical properties of textile fabrics; the different fibre types; the materials used in different processes and the effect on materials as they are processed.
research and development in textiles
Development of new concepts through the use of scientific and other methods of applied research.
dyeing technology
Processes involved in textile dyeing using different dyeing technologies. Also, addition of colours to textile materials using dye stuffs.
nonwoven machine technology
Manufacturing of nonwoven fabrics according to specification. Development, manufacture, properties and evaluation of nonwoven fabrics.
textile chemistry
Chemical processing of textiles such as the reactions of textiles to chemicals.
textile finishing technology
Processes used for changing the properties of textile materials. This includes operating, monitoring and maintaining textile finishing machines.
textile marketing techniques
The techniques for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers of textile products and services.
- chemistry
- health and safety in the textile industry
- physics
- portfolio management in textile manufacturing
Path to become a textile, leather and footwear researcher
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
486 programmes in 25 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 70 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
Textile Sciences and Engineering
Thomas Jefferson University · the United States
Kenya
Diploma of Apparel, Fashion and Textiles
Technical and Further Education Commission · Australia
Textile and Fashion
Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten · the Netherlands
Ammattiopisto Tavastia · Finland
Textile Processes and Principles (Classroom and Asynchronous e-learning)
Singapore
These are 6 of 556.
Sources
- 1. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov), CC BY. Data as at 10/06/2026. Adapted by NexPath.
- 2. Source: Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (students.kuccps.ac.ke).
- 3. Source: Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Education), CRICOS, data.gov.au, CC BY 2.5 AU. Data as at 01/09/2026. Adapted by NexPath.
- 4. Bron: DUO open onderwijsdata
- 5. Source: Opintopolku.fi (Finnish National Agency for Education)
- 6. Contains information from MySkillsFuture Course Run accessed on 2026-09-28 from data.gov.sg which is made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0 (https://data.gov.sg/open-data-licence)
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does textile, leather and footwear researcher fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of background is typically needed to become a textile, leather and footwear researcher?
I'm interested in sustainability – can I focus my research on eco-friendly materials?
Is it common to work as a freelancer in this field?
Is there a shortage of Textile, Leather And Footwear Researcher in Europe?
How much does Textile, Leather And Footwear Researcher pay in the United States?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 3, 2026 About our data