Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers
Also called: Alterations Sewer, Dressmaker, Seamstress, TailorDesign, make, alter, repair, or fit garments.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 22 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 8.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Tailors, dressmakers, and sewers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.1 hires for every 10 job openings in retail trade, which employs about 42% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $31,200 | $27,380 to $69,530 | 90 |
| Arizona | $40,360 | $38,630 to $44,720 | not published |
| Arkansas | $30,990 | $30,560 to $34,210 | 80 |
| California | $44,360 | $39,270 to $49,540 | 2,180 |
| Colorado | $51,110 | $33,840 to $57,050 | 160 |
| Connecticut | $40,000 | $37,440 to $46,260 | 210 |
| Delaware | $44,450 | $44,450 to $45,120 | not published |
| District of Columbia | $57,720 | $57,720 to $84,760 | 80 |
| Florida | $39,790 | $35,380 to $48,330 | 920 |
| Georgia | $43,260 | $31,110 to $58,910 | 360 |
| Hawaii | $53,680 | $38,160 to $65,700 | not published |
| Idaho | not published | not published | 110 |
| Illinois | $42,330 | $36,210 to $47,240 | 320 |
| Indiana | $36,450 | $34,000 to $50,050 | 360 |
| Iowa | $31,680 | $28,400 to $39,260 | 130 |
| Kansas | $27,110 | $20,800 to $29,570 | 40 |
| Kentucky | $32,530 | $31,200 to $35,620 | 230 |
| Louisiana | $33,560 | $27,960 to $42,990 | 250 |
| Maryland | $48,200 | $40,000 to $52,310 | not published |
| Massachusetts | $50,470 | $46,230 to $58,570 | not published |
| Michigan | $37,500 | $36,040 to $46,400 | 280 |
| Minnesota | $46,180 | $36,430 to $48,170 | 290 |
| Mississippi | $25,340 | $20,980 to $35,920 | 160 |
| Missouri | $48,240 | $35,900 to $48,840 | 200 |
| Montana | $34,710 | $34,230 to $38,020 | 50 |
| Nebraska | $38,380 | $36,080 to $40,580 | 40 |
| Nevada | $49,150 | $37,960 to $57,660 | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $45,970 | $41,540 to $46,690 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $43,150 | $36,380 to $57,980 | 350 |
| New Mexico | $43,350 | $31,110 to $44,980 | not published |
| New York | $60,210 | $47,400 to $79,450 | 1,160 |
| North Carolina | $41,260 | $35,130 to $45,470 | 740 |
| Ohio | $37,170 | $34,300 to $42,730 | 510 |
| Oklahoma | $26,300 | $25,770 to $36,530 | not published |
| Oregon | $47,450 | $34,180 to $62,030 | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,310 | $36,760 to $56,770 | 610 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,190 | $21,840 to $23,190 | not published |
| South Carolina | $33,030 | $17,300 to $46,230 | 340 |
| Tennessee | $38,650 | $26,660 to $42,720 | 170 |
| Texas | $36,260 | $30,930 to $45,050 | 1,540 |
| Utah | $48,040 | $35,450 to $48,780 | 290 |
| Virginia | $46,060 | $33,640 to $59,820 | 300 |
| Washington | $54,300 | $46,260 to $65,230 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $43,300 | $35,680 to $45,960 | 210 |
Nationally: $41,640. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 3 of its 22 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Trim excess material, using scissors. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair or replace defective garment parts, such as pockets, zippers, snaps, buttons, and linings. | Not published |
| Not much | Make garment style changes, such as tapering pant legs, narrowing lapels, and adding or removing padding. | Not published |
See all 22 tasks
| Not much | Press garments, using hand irons or pressing machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit. | Not published |
| Not much | Take up or let down hems to shorten or lengthen garment parts, such as sleeves. | Not published |
| Not much | Fit and study garments on customers to determine required alterations. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain garment drape and proportions as alterations are performed. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble garment parts and join parts with basting stitches, using needles and thread or sewing machines. | Not published |
| AI + software | Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements. | Not published |
| Not much | Fit, alter, repair, and make made-to-measure clothing, according to customers' and clothing manufacturers' specifications and fit, and applying principles of garment design, construction, and styling. | Not published |
| Not much | Record required alterations and instructions on tags, and attach them to garments. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine tags on garments to determine alterations that are needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Put in padding and shaping materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Position patterns of garment parts on fabric, and cut fabric along outlines, using scissors. | Not published |
| Not much | Sew buttonholes and attach buttons to finish garments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Estimate how much a garment will cost to make, based on factors such as time and material requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with customers to determine types of material and garment styles desired. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop, copy, or adapt designs for garments, and design patterns to fit measurements, applying knowledge of garment design, construction, styling, and fabric. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 22 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 22 tasks fall under 13 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #39 Determine values or prices of goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sew garments or materials | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment | |||
| Take physical measurements of patients or clients | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Design materials or devices |
Show all 13 activities
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer22%
- A design mockup14%
- Advice or a recommendation11%
- Data or a spreadsheet11%
- Math or a calculation8%
How they worked with Claude
19% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,444 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 7%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 5 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 3,663 moves in
- 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 6%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 5%
- 3 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 17% less than high school
- 58% high school
- 16% postsecondary certificate
- 9% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 18 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 23% less than high school
- 27% high school
- 15% some college
- 11% associate's
- 20% bachelor's
- 3% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Tailors, dressmakers, and sewers” · 654 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Tailors, dressmakers, and sewers”
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 6 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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