Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials in the U.S. is $35,060 ($16.85 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $35,060
- Mean annual wage
- $34,640
- Median hourly wage
- $16.85
- Employment
- 26,120
26,120 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,180 | $13.07 |
| 25th percentile | $29,870 | $14.36 |
| Median (50th) | $35,060 | $16.85 |
| 75th percentile | $37,940 | $18.24 |
| 90th percentile | $43,050 | $20.70 |
Highest-paying states for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $40,230 | — |
| California | $39,300 | 3,850 |
| New Hampshire | $38,540 | 100 |
| Colorado | $38,300 | 320 |
| Maine | $38,020 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $37,920 | 870 |
| Washington | $37,620 | 460 |
| Arizona | $36,870 | 360 |
| Oregon | $36,860 | 230 |
| New York | $36,510 | 1,730 |
Lowest-paying states
- Alabama: $26,860 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $27,170 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $27,180 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $28,340 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $28,400 median annual wage
About this occupation
Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
Typical tasks
- Brush materials made of suede, leather, or felt to remove spots or to raise and smooth naps.
- Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using measuring devices such as tape measures and micrometers.
- Slide material back and forth over heated, metal, ball-shaped forms to smooth and press portions of garments that cannot be satisfactorily pressed with flat pressers or hand irons.
- Finish pleated garments, determining sizes of pleats from evidence of old pleats or from work orders, using machine presses or hand irons.
- Select appropriate pressing machines, based on garment properties such as heat tolerance.
- Lower irons, rams, or pressing heads of machines into position over material to be pressed.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 31.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 43.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 15.7% |
| Associate's degree | 3.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 5.2% |
| Master's degree | 0.4% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.