Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,920 | $14.38 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $41,640 | $20.02 |
| Mean (average) | $45,140 | $21.70 |
| 90th percentile | $63,670 | $30.61 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 44 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $31,200 | $20,080 | $111,710 | 90 | 0.49 |
| Arizona | $40,360 | $37,930 | $47,110 | ||
| Arkansas | $30,990 | $22,880 | $45,310 | 80 | 0.68 |
| California | $44,360 | $35,820 | $64,340 | 2,180 | 1.34 |
| Colorado | $51,110 | $30,800 | $64,560 | 160 | 0.62 |
| Connecticut | $40,000 | $35,460 | $61,200 | 210 | 1.36 |
| Delaware | $44,450 | $40,200 | $49,050 | ||
| District of Columbia | $57,720 | $36,400 | $84,760 | 80 | 1.3 |
| Florida | $39,790 | $30,450 | $56,200 | 920 | 1.04 |
| Georgia | $43,260 | $27,030 | $83,770 | 360 | 0.82 |
| Hawaii | $53,680 | $38,160 | $65,710 | ||
| Idaho | Data unavailable | 110 | 1.42 | ||
| Illinois | $42,330 | $32,210 | $65,720 | 320 | 0.58 |
| Indiana | $36,450 | $30,490 | $50,360 | 360 | 1.27 |
| Iowa | $31,680 | $27,460 | $42,950 | 130 | 0.92 |
| Kansas | $27,110 | $19,510 | $39,090 | 40 | 0.3 |
| Kentucky | $32,530 | $29,710 | $41,700 | 230 | 1.31 |
| Louisiana | $33,560 | $25,770 | $50,630 | 250 | 1.47 |
| Maryland | $48,200 | $36,820 | $53,680 | ||
| Massachusetts | $50,470 | $38,660 | $63,890 | ||
| Michigan | $37,500 | $32,610 | $56,150 | 280 | 0.72 |
| Minnesota | $46,180 | $31,320 | $60,970 | 290 | 1.09 |
| Mississippi | $25,340 | $20,060 | $49,860 | 160 | 1.58 |
| Missouri | $48,240 | $28,600 | $58,080 | 200 | 0.75 |
| Montana | $34,710 | $33,330 | $42,850 | 50 | 1.19 |
| Nebraska | $38,380 | $34,360 | $46,380 | 40 | 0.41 |
| Nevada | $49,150 | $25,630 | $63,310 | 100 | 0.74 |
| New Hampshire | $45,970 | $36,350 | $69,210 | 60 | 0.99 |
| New Jersey | $43,150 | $35,650 | $68,190 | 350 | 0.93 |
| New Mexico | $43,350 | $26,930 | $46,800 | ||
| New York | $60,210 | $40,470 | $89,980 | 1,160 | 1.34 |
| North Carolina | $41,260 | $31,110 | $52,670 | 740 | 1.68 |
| Ohio | $37,170 | $31,600 | $49,930 | 510 | 1.02 |
| Oklahoma | $26,300 | $23,900 | $38,020 | ||
| Oregon | $47,450 | $31,210 | $62,290 | 100 | 0.57 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,310 | $26,840 | $57,310 | 610 | 1.12 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,190 | $21,840 | $23,190 | ||
| South Carolina | $33,030 | $16,890 | $60,120 | 340 | 1.65 |
| Tennessee | $38,650 | $24,450 | $43,510 | 170 | 0.57 |
| Texas | $36,260 | $26,840 | $51,120 | 1,540 | 1.22 |
| Utah | $48,040 | $30,540 | $50,940 | 290 | 1.86 |
| Virginia | $46,060 | $29,550 | $71,820 | 300 | 0.81 |
| Washington | $54,300 | $39,550 | $70,580 | 100 | 0.33 |
| Wisconsin | $43,300 | $32,970 | $50,330 | 210 | 0.81 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,700. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 58.4%.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines.
- Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades.
- Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines.
- Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit.
- Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements.
- Fit and study garments on customers to determine required alterations.
- Trim excess material, using scissors.
- Assemble garment parts and join parts with basting stitches, using needles and thread or sewing machines.
Technology skills
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- ArbelSoft TailorMax
- Bookkeeping software
- Garment design software
- Inventory tracking software
- Tailor Master
Transferable skills for career changers: Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Alterations Expert, Alterations Sewer, Bridal Designer, Clothing Pattern Designer, Custom Dressmaker, Custom Sewer, Custom Tailor, Dressmaker, Seamstress, Tailor.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make?
The national median annual wage for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers was $41,640 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $29,920 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $63,670. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers to change -8.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,700 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New York ($60,210), District of Columbia ($57,720), Washington ($54,300). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.