Production
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
Design, make, alter, repair, or fit garments.
Median pay
$41,640
Growth to 2035
−9%
declining
Openings a year
3,700
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers: 43% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements.
- Fit and study garments on customers to determine required alterations.
- Trim excess material, using scissors.
- Assemble garment parts and join parts with basting stitches, using needles and thread or sewing machines.
Also called: Alterations Expert · Alterations Sewer · Bridal Designer · Clothing Pattern Designer · Custom Dressmaker · Custom Sewer · Custom Tailor · Dressmaker
Outlook and AI
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers held 33,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 30,300 by 2035 (−9%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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- Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers vs. Patternmakers, metal and plastic
- Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers vs. Upholsterer
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