Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (SOC 51-6052) earn a median $41,640 a year ($20.02 an hour) in the United States, with 13,920 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers do
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers design, make, alter, repair, and fit garments for individual customers. A typical alteration begins with measuring the customer and studying how the garment fits, then marking and pinning the places where it should change. The tailor removes stitches with a ripper or razor blade, lets out or takes in seams, shortens sleeves or pant legs, and re-sews the piece by hand or on a sewing machine. Making a garment adds designing it and assembling the pieces, joining them first with basting stitches. Excess material is trimmed with scissors, and garments are fitted on the customer to decide what changes are needed. This occupation differs from sewing machine operators, who tend sewing machines in the manufacture of garment and nongarment products, and from fabric patternmakers, who draft patterns for production.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Alteration Tailor, Alterations and Tailor Shop Fitter, Alterations and Tailor Shop Sewer, Alterations Associate, Alterations Expert.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.38 | $16.94 | $20.02 | $24.14 | $30.61 | $21.70 | 13,920 |
| Annual | $29,920 | $35,230 | $41,640 | $50,200 | $63,670 | $45,140 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.46 | $22.79 | $28.95 | $38.20 | $43.26 | $30.87 | 1,160 | 0.12 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $40,470 | $47,400 | $60,210 | $79,450 | $89,980 | $64,200 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.50 | $27.75 | $27.75 | $40.75 | $40.75 | $31.51 | 80 | 0.12 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $57,720 | $57,720 | $84,760 | $84,760 | $65,530 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $19.01 | $22.24 | $26.11 | $31.36 | $33.94 | $27.11 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $39,550 | $46,260 | $54,300 | $65,230 | $70,580 | $56,380 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $18.34 | $18.34 | $25.81 | $31.59 | $31.59 | $25.03 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $38,160 | $38,160 | $53,680 | $65,700 | $65,710 | $52,070 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $14.81 | $16.27 | $24.57 | $27.43 | $31.04 | $23.68 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $30,800 | $33,840 | $51,110 | $57,050 | $64,560 | $49,250 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.22 | $18.88 | $21.33 | $23.82 | $30.94 | $23.66 | 2,180 | 0.12 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $35,820 | $39,270 | $44,360 | $49,540 | $64,340 | $49,200 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $12.91 | $14.87 | $17.44 | $21.66 | $24.58 | $17.93 | 1,540 | 0.11 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $26,840 | $30,930 | $36,260 | $45,050 | $51,120 | $37,290 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.46 | $22.79 | $28.95 | $38.20 | $43.26 | $30.87 | 1,160 | 0.12 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $40,470 | $47,400 | $60,210 | $79,450 | $89,980 | $64,200 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.64 | $17.01 | $19.13 | $23.23 | $27.02 | $20.99 | 920 | 0.09 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $30,450 | $35,380 | $39,790 | $48,330 | $56,200 | $43,650 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $14.96 | $16.89 | $19.84 | $21.86 | $25.32 | $20.12 | 740 | 0.15 | 1.68 |
| Annual | $31,110 | $35,130 | $41,260 | $45,470 | $52,670 | $41,860 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.66 | $23.04 | $30.31 | $38.20 | $43.61 | $31.34 | 1,100 | 0.12 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $36,730 | $47,930 | $63,050 | $79,450 | $90,710 | $65,180 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $21.32 | $23.06 | $28.38 | $28.38 | $28.38 | $26.60 | 80 | 0.07 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $44,350 | $47,970 | $59,020 | $59,020 | $59,020 | $55,320 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $17.51 | $21.37 | $27.41 | $27.56 | $27.56 | $24.32 | 270 | 0.09 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $36,420 | $44,450 | $57,020 | $57,310 | $57,320 | $50,580 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $15.80 | $17.84 | $26.44 | $31.99 | $40.75 | $26.34 | 230 | 0.07 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $32,870 | $37,110 | $55,000 | $66,540 | $84,760 | $54,780 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.02 | $23.10 | $26.11 | $33.94 | $33.94 | $28.39 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.30 |
| Annual | $39,550 | $48,050 | $54,300 | $70,580 | $70,580 | $59,060 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.22 | $18.40 | $19.27 | $23.97 | $50.35 | $24.94 | 1,150 | 0.18 | 2.05 |
| Annual | $35,820 | $38,280 | $40,080 | $49,860 | $104,720 | $51,870 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.66 | $23.04 | $30.31 | $38.20 | $43.61 | $31.34 | 1,100 | 0.12 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $36,730 | $47,930 | $63,050 | $79,450 | $90,710 | $65,180 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $15.15 | $15.15 | $17.44 | $21.66 | $21.84 | $18.46 | 420 | 0.13 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $31,510 | $31,510 | $36,260 | $45,050 | $45,420 | $38,400 | ||||
| El Paso, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 280 | 0.82 | 9.17 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $17.51 | $21.37 | $27.41 | $27.56 | $27.56 | $24.32 | 270 | 0.09 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $36,420 | $44,450 | $57,020 | $57,310 | $57,320 | $50,580 | ||||
Top industries employing tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers employ 33.3% of tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers nationally (4,640 jobs) at a median $44,130 a year ($21.22 an hour), followed by Drycleaning and Laundry Services (14.0%) and Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance (12.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers NAICS 458100 | 4,640 | 33.3% | $44,130 | $21.22 |
| Drycleaning and Laundry Services NAICS 812300 | 1,950 | 14.0% | $38,320 | $18.42 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance NAICS 811400 | 1,800 | 12.9% | $39,150 | $18.82 |
| Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing NAICS 315200 | 1,230 | 8.8% | $43,270 | $20.81 |
| Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers NAICS 424300 | 780 | 5.6% | $39,270 | $18.88 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (13,920). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $31,420 for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in May 2021 and $41,640 in May 2025, with employment of 17,270 and 13,920.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $31,420 | $15.11 | 17,270 |
| May 2022 | $34,280 | $16.48 | 16,870 |
| May 2023 | $36,650 | $17.62 | 14,950 |
| May 2024 | $40,860 | $19.64 | 16,290 |
| May 2025 | $41,640 | $20.02 | 13,920 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
43 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York profile | $28.95 | $60,210 | $40,470 | $89,980 | 1,160 | 0.12 | 1.34 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $27.75 | $57,720 | $36,400 | $84,760 | 80 | 0.12 | 1.30 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $26.11 | $54,300 | $39,550 | $70,580 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.33 |
| 4 | Hawaii profile | $25.81 | $53,680 | $38,160 | $65,710 | ** | ** | ** |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $24.57 | $51,110 | $30,800 | $64,560 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.62 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $24.27 | $50,470 | $38,660 | $63,890 | ** | ** | ** |
| 7 | Nevada profile | $23.63 | $49,150 | $25,630 | $63,310 | 100 | 0.07 | 0.74 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.23 | $48,310 | $26,840 | $57,310 | 610 | 0.10 | 1.12 |
| 9 | Missouri profile | $23.19 | $48,240 | $28,600 | $58,080 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.75 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $23.17 | $48,200 | $36,820 | $53,680 | ** | ** | ** |
| 11 | Utah profile | $23.09 | $48,040 | $30,540 | $50,940 | 290 | 0.17 | 1.86 |
| 12 | Oregon profile | $22.81 | $47,450 | $31,210 | $62,290 | 100 | 0.05 | 0.57 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $22.20 | $46,180 | $31,320 | $60,970 | 290 | 0.10 | 1.09 |
| 14 | Virginia profile | $22.14 | $46,060 | $29,550 | $71,820 | 300 | 0.07 | 0.81 |
| 15 | New Hampshire profile | $22.10 | $45,970 | $36,350 | $69,210 | 60 | 0.09 | 0.99 |
| 16 | Delaware profile | $21.37 | $44,450 | $40,200 | $49,050 | ** | ** | ** |
| 17 | California profile | $21.33 | $44,360 | $35,820 | $64,340 | 2,180 | 0.12 | 1.34 |
| 18 | New Mexico profile | $20.84 | $43,350 | $26,930 | $46,800 | ** | ** | ** |
| 19 | Wisconsin profile | $20.82 | $43,300 | $32,970 | $50,330 | 210 | 0.07 | 0.81 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | $20.80 | $43,260 | $27,030 | $83,770 | 360 | 0.07 | 0.82 |
| 21 | New Jersey profile | $20.75 | $43,150 | $35,650 | $68,190 | 350 | 0.08 | 0.93 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $20.35 | $42,330 | $32,210 | $65,720 | 320 | 0.05 | 0.58 |
| 23 | North Carolina profile | $19.84 | $41,260 | $31,110 | $52,670 | 740 | 0.15 | 1.68 |
| 24 | Arizona profile | $19.40 | $40,360 | $37,930 | $47,110 | ** | ** | ** |
| 25 | Connecticut profile | $19.23 | $40,000 | $35,460 | $61,200 | 210 | 0.12 | 1.36 |
| 26 | Florida profile | $19.13 | $39,790 | $30,450 | $56,200 | 920 | 0.09 | 1.04 |
| 27 | Tennessee profile | $18.58 | $38,650 | $24,450 | $43,510 | 170 | 0.05 | 0.57 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | $18.45 | $38,380 | $34,360 | $46,380 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.41 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $18.03 | $37,500 | $32,610 | $56,150 | 280 | 0.07 | 0.72 |
| 30 | Ohio profile | $17.87 | $37,170 | $31,600 | $49,930 | 510 | 0.09 | 1.02 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $17.52 | $36,450 | $30,490 | $50,360 | 360 | 0.11 | 1.27 |
| 32 | Texas profile | $17.44 | $36,260 | $26,840 | $51,120 | 1,540 | 0.11 | 1.22 |
| 33 | Montana profile | $16.69 | $34,710 | $33,330 | $42,850 | 50 | 0.11 | 1.19 |
| 34 | Louisiana profile | $16.14 | $33,560 | $25,770 | $50,630 | 250 | 0.13 | 1.47 |
| 35 | South Carolina profile | $15.88 | $33,030 | $16,890 | $60,120 | 340 | 0.15 | 1.65 |
| 36 | Kentucky profile | $15.64 | $32,530 | $29,710 | $41,700 | 230 | 0.12 | 1.31 |
| 37 | Iowa profile | $15.23 | $31,680 | $27,460 | $42,950 | 130 | 0.08 | 0.92 |
| 38 | Alabama profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $20,080 | $111,710 | 90 | 0.04 | 0.49 |
| 39 | Arkansas profile | $14.90 | $30,990 | $22,880 | $45,310 | 80 | 0.06 | 0.68 |
| 40 | Kansas profile | $13.03 | $27,110 | $19,510 | $39,090 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.30 |
| 41 | Oklahoma profile | $12.65 | $26,300 | $23,900 | $38,020 | ** | ** | ** |
| 42 | Mississippi profile | $12.19 | $25,340 | $20,060 | $49,860 | 160 | 0.14 | 1.58 |
| – | Idaho profile | * | * | * | * | 110 | 0.13 | 1.42 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-6050), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-6052 Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-6052, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-6052.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.