Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in the U.S. is $41,640 ($20.02 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $41,640
- Mean annual wage
- $45,140
- Median hourly wage
- $20.02
- Employment
- 13,920
13,920 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,920 | $14.38 |
| 25th percentile | $35,230 | $16.94 |
| Median (50th) | $41,640 | $20.02 |
| 75th percentile | $50,200 | $24.14 |
| 90th percentile | $63,670 | $30.61 |
Highest-paying states for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $60,210 | 1,160 |
| District of Columbia | $57,720 | 80 |
| Washington | $54,300 | 100 |
| Hawaii | $53,680 | — |
| Colorado | $51,110 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $50,470 | — |
| Nevada | $49,150 | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,310 | 610 |
| Missouri | $48,240 | 200 |
| Maryland | $48,200 | — |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $25,340 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $26,300 median annual wage
- Kansas: $27,110 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $30,990 median annual wage
- Alabama: $31,200 median annual wage
About this occupation
Design, make, alter, repair, or fit garments.
Typical tasks
- Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements.
- Take up or let down hems to shorten or lengthen garment parts, such as sleeves.
- Fit, alter, repair, and make made-to-measure clothing, according to customers' and clothing manufacturers' specifications and fit, and applying principles of garment design, construction, and styling.
- Estimate how much a garment will cost to make, based on factors such as time and material requirements.
- Develop, copy, or adapt designs for garments, and design patterns to fit measurements, applying knowledge of garment design, construction, styling, and fabric.
- Sew buttonholes and attach buttons to finish garments.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 19.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 28.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 18.5% |
| Associate's degree | 10.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 17.6% |
| Master's degree | 5.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.8% |
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.