LA typically pays less than both NY and SF. This is largely due to two issues. First, most everyone in the LA fashion market gets Associates Degrees and typically start their careers earlier than those in NY or SF. Second, LA has a larger percentage of small/entrepreneurial brands. Small companies tend to pay less.
Of course, there are always exceptions. 
Good post and I hear ya! Ever since overseas patternmakers became the norm, salaries and the value placed on the work have decreased, despite having to personally train many of them in correct balance and fit, lol!
Do you use a software program for your patterns or flat table method?
Thanks!
Haha, right? I know, I think there seems to be some confusion about the two skills- just because they can use a digital patternmaking program doesnāt mean they are actually knowledgeable about fit and balance. I think the āartā of patternmaking is also getting overlooked- good patterns are a combination of getting the fit right but also creating elegant, flattering shapes.
I work 100% digitally. Itās funny I used to get a lot of pushback on this in the past, many patternmakers consider digital patternmaking ānot realā patternmaking! What a bizarre industry! I used Accumark for 12-13 years, now Iām using CLO, Tukatech (itās SO affordable!) and I am using Optitex on a clientās license for some freelance work.
I actually really love Tukatech. There are things I miss about Accumark, Iām definitely faster in Accumark. But Tukatech is a better set up for home use, itās easy to send PDFs of patterns or export to Illustrator. Maybe I just donāt know how to do those things efficiently in Accumark, but I feel in general that Gerber is more geared towards using with only Gerber products (expensive plotters!) and more large scale production.
What do you use?
Totally agree with you about table & digital patternmaking- I tell people all the time you need to have good patternmaking skills including fit & balance, & know how to work with textiles for silhouette & drape in order to use 2-D and 3-D pattern programs effectively. I use flat table, Gerber and staring to use CLO- the 3D program is fun but having all my 2-D skills really helps!
NYC Technical Designer- 6 years experience 80K
how about salaries for tech designers with 3d exp-mid level and sr level, glassdoor is confusing
South central. 8 YOE. 68k
When I was in NYC I was making $40/hr freelancing.
Are you interviewing currently?
Iāve found senior roles to be around 85K - 100K, Iāve rarely found anything much more than that but some people already in those roles for many years /many raises possibly they make something like $125?
What are you thinking it should be / hoping for?
Senior Tech Designer- Los Angeles- between 80-90k. Senior meaning 8+ years experience 
Started a sr tech job last fall in NYC. 110k I feel very lucky, but i definitely feel the pinch of a lower salary combined with high inflation
Maybe itās just me, but 110k does not seem like enough for NYC. 80-90k for sr TD in LA seems absurd. I know that good salaries for TD are in the past, but when are companies going to face the reality that a highly skilled employee deserve to be paid as much? Inflation has well outpaced salary increases, but on top of that, we are central to the success of our companies. It baffles me that only TDs see that.
I so agree. When I first started tech designers/ patternmakers were well paid for and respected because of the value they bring to the product. But ever since about 2016 things have started to head downwards for us.
In 2020 I only made $75k in LA (and this is after 13 years of experience as a patternmaker & tech designer). I felt like I was barely scraping by, especially with gas prices! After a working for a year during covid, in person/pre-vaccine, while many people I knew were being paid more than me to NOT work, I finally quit working full time so I could set my own freelance rate.
Iām not sure I make more money now, per say, but at least I have control over my workload and the ability to say āyesā or ānoā. Plus, Iām able to work remotely!
Iām much happier as a freelancer. I wish they would realize how important our role isā¦ but Iām tired of waiting.
Yeah, Iāve been strongly considering doing the same. Now is not the right time, but quitting and going freelance is on the horizon. We recently had annual reviews, and while the āCOL increaseā was slightly larger than Iāve had in the past, it doesnāt cover inflation, and thereās no way Iāll be able to cover my bills this year without supplementing.