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Tailor: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$41,640median pay per year, or $20.02 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $29,920lowest 10% earn less
  2. $35,23025th percentile
  3. $41,640median
  4. $50,20075th percentile
  5. $63,670top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Tailors earned a median of $41,640 a year in May 2025[1]. Federal projections show the number of jobs shrinking over the next decade, not growing[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-8.8%[2]
Openings per year
3,700[5]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[6]

How much do tailors make?

The official BLS category is Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers. Its median pay was $41,640 a year, or $20.02 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $45,140 a year, or $21.70 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4], so tailor pay sits below the typical US job.

Pay varies a lot within the job. BLS publishes percentile wages, which are boundaries and not a starting salary[8]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,920 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $63,670[3].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][9] $29,920 $14.38
25th percentile[3][9] $35,230 $16.94
Median[1] $41,640 $20.02
75th percentile[3][9] $50,200 $24.14
90th percentile[3][9] $63,670 $30.61

These figures cover workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out self-employed people, and they do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[10]. That matters here, because 58.4% of tailors were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

New York had the highest state median at $60,210, followed by the District of Columbia at $57,720 and Washington at $54,300[12]. The lowest medians among states with published data were in Mississippi at $25,340 and Oklahoma at $26,300[12].

California had the most jobs at 2,180, then Texas at 1,540 and New York at 1,160[13]. Some state figures rest on small job counts, so read them as rough guides[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, New York-Newark-Jersey City had the highest median at $63,050[14]. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington came next at $57,020, then Washington-Arlington-Alexandria at $55,000[14]. The Los Angeles area had the most jobs at 1,150, and the New York area had 1,100[15].

Show median pay in 41 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
New York[12]$60,2101,160
District of Columbia$57,72080
Washington$54,300100
Hawaii$53,680n/a
Colorado$51,110160
Massachusetts$50,470n/a
Nevada$49,150100
Pennsylvania$48,310610
Missouri$48,240200
Maryland$48,200n/a
Utah$48,040290
Oregon$47,450100
Minnesota$46,180290
Virginia$46,060300
New Hampshire$45,97060
Delaware$44,450n/a
California$44,3602,180
New Mexico$43,350n/a
Wisconsin$43,300210
Georgia$43,260360
New Jersey$43,150350
Illinois$42,330320
North Carolina$41,260740
Arizona$40,360n/a
Connecticut$40,000210
Florida$39,790920
Tennessee$38,650170
Nebraska$38,38040
Michigan$37,500280
Ohio$37,170510
Indiana$36,450360
Texas$36,2601,540
Montana$34,71050
Louisiana$33,560250
South Carolina$33,030340
Kentucky$32,530230
Iowa$31,680130
Alabama$31,20090
Arkansas$30,99080
Kansas$27,11040
Oklahoma$26,300n/a
Mississippi$25,340160

How to become a tailor

BLS lists a short path into this work[6].

The facts do not say how many months or years that training takes. In an O*NET survey of 18 workers, 58% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required, 17% said less than a diploma, 16% said a post-secondary certificate and 9% said a bachelor's degree[16]. A small survey like this is a rough picture only.

What tailors do

O*NET describes the work as designing, making, altering, repairing or fitting garments[17]. Common tasks include:

Who tailors work for

Self-employment is common. 58.4% of tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers were self-employed in 2025[11]. OEWS counted about 13,920 wage and salary jobs in May 2025[19], while the projections count about 33,200 jobs including the self-employed[2]. Workers report job titles such as alterations sewer, custom dressmaker and bridal designer[20].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 8.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 33,200 jobs to 30,300[2]. All occupations together are projected to grow 3.5%[21]. The related occupations that O*NET lists are all projected to shrink too[22].

Jobs still open up. About 3,700 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings count retirements and moves to other occupations as well as new jobs[5]. Each year, 7.8% of workers leave the labor force and 4.7% move to a different occupation[23].

Is it a good fit?

The job has a low barrier to entry, since no formal credential or related experience is typically needed[6]. Pay is below the all-occupations median[1][4], and employment is projected to fall[2]. Many tailors work for themselves[11], so the wage figures here may not describe your own earnings. Location also matters, with medians ranging widely from state to state[12].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[22].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a tailor make an hour?
The median was $20.02 an hour in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $14.38 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $30.61[9].
What degree do you need to be a tailor?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry level[6].
Is tailoring in demand?
Employment is projected to decline 8.8% from 2025 to 2035[2], though about 3,700 openings a year are projected[5].
What is the highest paying state for tailors?
New York, with a median of $60,210[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers in the US was $41,640 per year and $20.02 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers is projected to decline 8.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 33,200 to 30,300 jobs (a change of -2,900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers: 10th percentile $29,920, 25th percentile $35,230, 75th percentile $50,200, 90th percentile $63,670. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 3,700 openings for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers 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
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers: 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
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers was $45,140 per year and $21.70 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. 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
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers: 10th percentile $14.38, 25th percentile $16.94, 75th percentile $24.14, 90th percentile $30.61. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. 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
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 58.4% of Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers jobs: California 2,180; Texas 1,540; New York 1,160; Florida 920; North Carolina 740. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (areas with at least 100 jobs): New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $63,050; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $57,020; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $55,000; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $53,970; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $51,380; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $50,470; San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $49,610; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $49,450. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers jobs: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,150 (median $40,080); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,100 (median $63,050); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 420 (median $36,260); El Paso, TX 280; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 270 (median $57,020); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 240 (median $45,630). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 51-6052.00 survey of workers (18 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 58%, Less than a High School Diploma 17%, Post-Secondary Certificate 16%, Bachelor's Degree 9% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers. O*NET OnLine
  19. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 13,920 people were employed as Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  20. O*NET 51-6052.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Alterations Expert, Alterations Sewer, Bridal Designer, Clothing Pattern Designer, Custom Dressmaker, Custom Sewer, Custom Tailor, Dressmaker. 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. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
  23. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers: 7.8% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.7% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections

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.