Sewers, Hand earn a median of $36,480 per year ($17.54/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 12.0% through 2035, with about 600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 51-6051
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Sewer, Hand in four numbers
- Median pay
- $36,480a year, or $17.54/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $28KTop 10% $48K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -12.0%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−12%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −12% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 6005,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20255.3K
- Projected 20354.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 5.3K Projected 2035 4.6K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school82.2%
- High school10.8%
- Certificate0.4%
- Some college4.1%
- Associate's2%
- Professional degree0.5%
Highest education held by sewers, hand Segment Value Less than high school 82.2% High school 10.8% Certificate 0.4% Some college 4.1% Associate's 2% Professional degree 0.5%
Also advertised as: Alteration Specialist, Couturier, Custom Clothier, Custom Designer, Custom Seamstress, Seamstress.
Pay
How much do Sewers, Hand make?
Every sewer, hand in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$36,480
Middle half earn $33,330 to $40,720
- 10th
- $27,680
- 25th
- $33,330
- 75th
- $40,720
- 90th
- $47,570
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,680 |
| 25th | $33,330 |
| Median | $36,480 |
| 75th | $40,720 |
| 90th | $47,570 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $36,480
- Median hourly wage
- $17.54/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $37,210
- People employed
- 2,190
Versus all US occupations
At $36,480, Sewers, Hand earn 28% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $14,500 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 24% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $47,570 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,680, a gap of 1.7×. 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 3% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Colorado posts the highest raw median ($47,600), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $48,187 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Sewers, Hand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Colorado | $47,600 | $46,190 | N/A |
| 2Washington | $45,170 | $42,210 | N/A |
| 3California | $42,420 | $38,313 | 110 |
| 4Iowa | $42,290 | $48,187 | 40 |
| 5South Carolina | $39,690 | $42,336 | N/A |
| 6Nevada | $39,440 | $39,448 | N/A |
| 7Massachusetts | $38,680 | $36,574 | 40 |
| 8Florida | $38,480 | $37,210 | 140 |
| 9Georgia | $38,210 | $39,681 | 120 |
| 10New York | $37,380 | $34,636 | 120 |
Job outlook
Is Sewer, Hand a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -12.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sewers, Hand | −12% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Sewers, Hand to change -12.0% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 600 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 600 openings are projected each year, 11.3% of the 5,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Sewer, Hand
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-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 sewers, hand.
- Less than a High School Diploma82.2%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)10.8%
- Some College Courses4.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree2%
- First Professional Degree0.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 82.2% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 10.8% |
| Some College Courses | 4.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 2% |
| First Professional Degree | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Sewer, Hand do?
Sew, join, reinforce, or finish, usually with needle and thread, a variety of manufactured items. Includes weavers and stitchers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Trim excess threads or edges of parts, using scissors or knives.
- Select thread, twine, cord, or yarn to be used, and thread needles.
- Use different sewing techniques such as felling, tacking, basting, embroidery, and fagoting.
- Measure and align parts, fasteners, or trimmings, following seams, edges, or markings on parts.
- Sew, join, reinforce, or finish parts of articles, such as garments, books, mattresses, toys, and wigs, using needles and thread or other materials.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending 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
- Active Listening2.6
- Speaking2.6
- Monitoring2.6
- Reading Comprehension2.5
- Critical Thinking2.5
- Active Learning2.4
- Mathematics2.0
- Learning Strategies2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 2.6 |
| Speaking | 2.6 |
| Monitoring | 2.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.5 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.5 |
| Active Learning | 2.4 |
| Mathematics | 2.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Time Management2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
- Operations Monitoring2.3
- Operation and Control2.3
- Quality Control Analysis2.3
- Social Perceptiveness2.1
- Coordination2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.6 |
| Operations Monitoring | 2.3 |
| Operation and Control | 2.3 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.1 |
| Coordination | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Optical character reader OCR or scanning 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 Sewer, Hand?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Sewer, Hand |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 3 |
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.
- Realistic6.5
- Conventional3.3
- Artistic2.4
- Social1.6
- Enterprising1.1
- Investigative1.0
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 Sewer, Hand
O*NET related occupations
- Production
- Production
Tailor, Dressmaker, and Custom Sewer
$41,640median a year
Most earn $30K to $64K
−8.8%No formal credential - Production
- Production
- Production
- Production
Presser, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
$35,060median a year
Most earn $27K to $43K
−15.7%No formal credential
More production careers
Median annual pay, with sewers, hand 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
- Sewer, Hand$36,480
| 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 |
| Sewer, Hand | $36,480 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Sewer, Hand appears on
Questions
Sewer, Hand: frequently asked questions
How much do Sewers, Hand make?
Sewers, Hand earn a median of $36,480 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 28% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.54/hr. The middle half earn between $33,330 and $40,720. The top 10% earn $47,570 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Sewer, Hand?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Sewers, Hand, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 82.2% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Sewer, Hand a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 12.0% over 2025–2035, a loss of 600 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Sewer, Hand do?
Sew, join, reinforce, or finish, usually with needle and thread, a variety of manufactured items. A core O*NET task: trim excess threads or edges of parts, using scissors or knives. Employers most often ask for Graphics or photo imaging software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Sewers, Hand the most?
The highest state medians for Sewers, Hand are Colorado ($47,600), Washington ($45,170), California ($42,420) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $48,187.
What personality type suits a Sewer, Hand?
O*NET scores Sewers, Hand 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.