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Hand sewer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$36,480median pay per year, or $17.54 an hour, May 2025[2]
  1. $27,680lowest 10% earn less
  2. $33,33025th percentile
  3. $36,480median
  4. $40,72075th percentile
  5. $47,570top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Sewers, Hand are workers who sew, join and finish items with needle and thread[1]. Their median pay was $36,480 a year in May 2025, and BLS projects employment to fall 12% from 2025 to 2035[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-12%[3]
Openings per year
600[6]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[7]

How much do hand sewers make?

The median pay for Sewers, Hand was $36,480 a year, or $17.54 an hour[2]. Half the workers in this job made more than that and half made less[2]. The average was $37,210 a year, or $17.89 an hour[8]. The median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[5].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $27,680, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $47,570[4]. The 25th percentile was $33,330 and the 75th was $40,720[4]. Hourly, the 10th percentile was $13.31 and the 90th was $22.87[9]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[10].

These figures cover workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed and do not count benefits[11]. About 2,190 people held such jobs in May 2025[12]. That matters here because 58.5% of Sewers, Hand were self-employed in 2025[13].

Pay by state and city

BLS published state medians for 17 states[14]. Colorado had the highest at $47,600, then Washington at $45,170 and California at $42,420[14]. Louisiana had the lowest listed median at $27,040, just below Texas at $29,320[14].

The most jobs were in Texas (240), Pennsylvania (230), Florida (140), Georgia (120) and New York (120)[15]. The one metro area listed, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, had 140 jobs and a median of $37,380[16].

Show median pay in 17 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Colorado[14]$47,600n/a
Washington$45,170n/a
California$42,420110
Iowa$42,29040
South Carolina$39,690n/a
Nevada$39,440n/a
Massachusetts$38,68040
Florida$38,480140
Georgia$38,210120
New York$37,380120
North Carolina$36,55070
Illinois$36,480n/a
New Jersey$36,40040
Pennsylvania$35,560230
Indiana$34,410n/a
Texas$29,320240
Louisiana$27,040n/a

How to become a hand sewer

BLS describes the typical path this way[7]:

In an ONET survey of 16 workers, 82% said less than a high school diploma is required and 11% said a high school diploma or equivalent[17]. That is a small survey. ONET places the job in Job Zone 1-2, which means very little to some preparation[18]. The facts here do not give a training length in months or years, and they name no license.

What hand sewers do

O*NET describes the job as sewing, joining, reinforcing or finishing manufactured items, usually by needle and thread[1]. Weavers and stitchers are included[1]. Tasks include:

Workers report titles such as seamstress, stitcher and alteration specialist[20].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 12% from 2025 to 2035, from about 5,300 to 4,600 jobs, a loss of 600[3]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[21]. These projection counts include self-employed workers[3].

Even with a decline, about 600 openings are projected each year[6]. Openings count new jobs and also jobs left by workers who retire or switch to other occupations[6]. Each year, 7.8% of workers leave the labor force and 4.7% move to a different occupation[22].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a job with no formal educational credential and no related experience required[7]. Median pay was below the all-occupations median[2][5], and employment is projected to shrink[3][21]. More than half of these workers were self-employed[13], so wage figures describe only part of the field. The data here say nothing about training cost, hours or where to learn the craft.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a hand sewer make an hour?
The median was $17.54 an hour in May 2025[2]. The 10th percentile was $13.31 and the 90th was $22.87[9].
What education do you need to be a hand sewer?
BLS lists no formal educational credential, no related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training[7].
Is hand sewing in demand?
BLS projects a 12% decline from 2025 to 2035, though about 600 openings a year are expected from retirements and job changes[3][6].
What is the highest paying state for hand sewers?
Colorado had the highest median at $47,600 a year, followed by Washington at $45,170[14].

Facts and sources

  1. O*NET description of Sewers, Hand. O*NET OnLine
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Sewers, Hand in the US was $36,480 per year and $17.54 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Sewers, Hand is projected to decline 12% from 2025 to 2035, from about 5,300 to 4,600 jobs (a change of -600). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Sewers, Hand: 10th percentile $27,680, 25th percentile $33,330, 75th percentile $40,720, 90th percentile $47,570. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 600 openings for Sewers, Hand are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Sewers, Hand: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Sewers, Hand was $37,210 per year and $17.89 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Sewers, Hand: 10th percentile $13.31, 25th percentile $16.03, 75th percentile $19.58, 90th percentile $22.87. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 2,190 people were employed as Sewers, Hand in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS Employment Projections: 58.5% of Sewers, Hand were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  14. Median annual wage for Sewers, Hand in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Sewers, Hand jobs: Texas 240; Pennsylvania 230; Florida 140; Georgia 120; New York 120. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Sewers, Hand jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 140 (median $37,380). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 51-6051.00 survey of workers (16 respondents), education level they say is required: Less than a High School Diploma 82%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 11% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET 51-6051.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET task list for Sewers, Hand. O*NET OnLine
  20. O*NET 51-6051.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Alteration Specialist, Couturier, Custom Clothier, Custom Designer, Custom Seamstress, Seamstress, Stitcher. O*NET OnLine
  21. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Sewers, Hand: 7.8% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.7% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.