Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-6052

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

Median pay sits 44% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($79K) , Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-6052 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines
  2. 2. Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades
  3. 3. Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines
  4. 4. Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit
  5. 5. Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements
  6. 6. Fit and study garments on customers to determine required alterations
  7. 7. Trim excess material, using scissors
  8. 8. Assemble garment parts and join parts with basting stitches, using needles and thread or sewing machines
  9. 9. Make garment style changes, such as tapering pant legs, narrowing lapels, and adding or removing padding
  10. 10. Maintain garment drape and proportions as alterations are performed
  11. 11. Take up or let down hems to shorten or lengthen garment parts, such as sleeves
  12. 12. Repair or replace defective garment parts, such as pockets, zippers, snaps, buttons, and linings

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers: O*NET ranks Time Management first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-6052 - lead skill Time Management at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Time Management 3.1
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.0
  3. 3. Speaking 3.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.0
  5. 5. Social Perceptiveness 2.9
  6. 6. Monitoring 2.8
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 2.8
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.0
  2. 2. English Language 3.6
  3. 3. Production and Processing 3.3
  4. 4. Administration and Management 3.2
  5. 5. Economics and Accounting 3.2
  6. 6. Design 3.0
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-44%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $41,640/yr
$42K
National median
↓ -5%
Growth 2024-2034
5,000
Annual openings
13,920
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

1. Hawaii $53,680
2. District of Columbia $57,720
3. Washington $54,300
4. New York $60,210
5. Maryland $48,200
6. Missouri $48,240
7. Massachusetts $50,470
8. Colorado $51,110
9. Pennsylvania $48,310
10. Nevada $49,150

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  2. 2. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  3. 3. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  4. 4. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  5. 5. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  6. 6. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers sits 44% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $41,640.

Employment Projections expect -5% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 5,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Hawaii at $53,680. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers pay-rank #81 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers lands at #81, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers pays 44% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-6052

Hawaii · top state for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

$54K published median

District of Columbia · #2 state pay

$58K · behind Hawaii

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers · $123K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

Lower-pay peer beside Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers · $63K

Compare Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers is pay-rank #81 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers ($42K), Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders ($42K), Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders ($41K), Food Batchmakers ($42K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers. Leading ones include: Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines; Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades; Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines; Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers? ▼
For SOC 51-6052, O*NET importance scores lead with Time Management (3.1), Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $41,640 as the national median for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers. The published 10th-90th range is $29,920 to $63,670. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers is -5%. Projected annual openings: about 5,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers? ▼
Hawaii ($53,680), District of Columbia ($57,720), Washington ($54,300) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-6052. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics