Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials earn a median of $35,060 per year ($16.85/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 15.7% through 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 51-6021
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials in four numbers
- Median pay
- $35,060a year, or $16.85/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $27KTop 10% $43K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -15.7%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−15.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −15.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,20026,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202526.3K
- Projected 203522.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 26.3K Projected 2035 22.2K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school59.2%
- High school25.6%
- Associate's1.1%
- Doctorate14.2%
Highest education held by pressers, textile, garment, and related materials Segment Value Less than high school 59.2% High school 25.6% Associate's 1.1% Doctorate 14.2%
Also advertised as: Boarder, Dry Cleaner Presser, Garment Presser, Ironing Machine Operator, Ironing Worker, Pants Presser.
Pay
How much do Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials make?
Every presser, textile, garment, and related materials in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$35,060
Middle half earn $29,870 to $37,940
- 10th
- $27,180
- 25th
- $29,870
- 75th
- $37,940
- 90th
- $43,050
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,180 |
| 25th | $29,870 |
| Median | $35,060 |
| 75th | $37,940 |
| 90th | $43,050 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $35,060
- Median hourly wage
- $16.85/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $34,640
- People employed
- 26,120
Versus all US occupations
At $35,060, Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials earn 31% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,920 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 27% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $43,050 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,180, a gap of 1.6×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 1% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Illinois pays the most at $40,230, and still leads at $40,247 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Illinois | $40,230 | $40,247 | N/A |
| 2California | $39,300 | $35,495 | 3,850 |
| 3New Hampshire | $38,540 | $36,999 | 100 |
| 4Colorado | $38,300 | $37,166 | 320 |
| 5Maine | $38,020 | $39,176 | 60 |
| 6New Jersey | $37,920 | $34,851 | 870 |
| 7Washington | $37,620 | $35,155 | 460 |
| 8Arizona | $36,870 | $36,622 | 360 |
| 9Oregon | $36,860 | $35,661 | 230 |
| 10New York | $36,510 | $33,830 | 1,730 |
Job outlook
Is Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -15.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | −15.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials to change -15.7% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 4,100 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,200 openings are projected each year, 8.4% of the 26,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as pressers, textile, garment, and related materials.
- Less than a High School Diploma59.2%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)25.6%
- Doctoral Degree14.2%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree1.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 59.2% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 25.6% |
| Doctoral Degree | 14.2% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 1.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials do?
Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
Day-to-day tasks
- Remove finished pieces from pressing machines and hang or stack them for cooling, or forward them for additional processing.
- Operate steam, hydraulic, or other pressing machines to remove wrinkles from garments and flatwork items, or to shape, form, or patch articles.
- Straighten, smooth, or shape materials to prepare them for pressing.
- Push and pull irons over surfaces of articles to smooth or shape them.
- Lower irons, rams, or pressing heads of machines into position over material to be pressed.
- Select appropriate pressing machines, based on garment properties such as heat tolerance.
- Finish pleated garments, determining sizes of pleats from evidence of old pleats or from work orders, using machine presses or hand irons.
- Moisten materials to soften and smooth them.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking2.5
- Monitoring2.4
- Speaking2.1
- Active Learning2.1
- Reading Comprehension2.0
- Active Listening2.0
- Writing1.8
- Learning Strategies1.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 2.5 |
| Monitoring | 2.4 |
| Speaking | 2.1 |
| Active Learning | 2.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.0 |
| Active Listening | 2.0 |
| Writing | 1.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 1.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control3.0
- Operations Monitoring2.5
- Time Management2.5
- Complex Problem Solving2.3
- Equipment Maintenance2.3
- Troubleshooting2.3
- Quality Control Analysis2.1
- Judgment and Decision Making2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.5 |
| Time Management | 2.5 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.3 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.3 |
| Troubleshooting | 2.3 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Electronic mail software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.4
- Conventional3.5
- Artistic2.3
- Investigative1.5
- Social1.1
- Enterprising1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
O*NET related occupations
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Production
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$50,270median a year
Most earn $37K to $70K
−3.6%High school - Transportation and Material Moving
- Production
More production careers
Median annual pay, with pressers, textile, garment, and related materials highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
- Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials$35,060
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
| Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | $35,060 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials appears on
Questions
Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials: frequently asked questions
How much do Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials make?
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials earn a median of $35,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 31% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $16.85/hr. The middle half earn between $29,870 and $37,940. The top 10% earn $43,050 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 59.2% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 15.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 4,100 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials do?
Press or shape articles by hand or machine. A core O*NET task: remove finished pieces from pressing machines and hang or stack them for cooling, or forward them for additional processing. Employers most often ask for Spreadsheet software, Word processing software.
Which states pay Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials the most?
The highest state medians for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials are Illinois ($40,230), California ($39,300), New Hampshire ($38,540) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials?
O*NET scores Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.