Tailor/Dressmaker

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Work Tasks

• Make, alter, and fix clothing
• Help the customer pick fabric and a clothing pattern
• Measure the customer; cut the fabric and sew it together
• Fix clothing so it fits the customer just right
• Work for custom tailoring shops, clothing and department stores, garment factories, dry cleaners, or own their own shops
• Work with sewing machines, clothing, fabrics, patterns, sketches, measuring equipment, needles, pins, thread, thimbles, buttons, hooks, zippers, lace, ribbons, and other trim

Salary, Size & Growth

• $33,500 average per year ($16.00 per hour)
• A medium occupation (26,900 workers in 2010)
• Expected to decline (0.3% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: On-the-job training
• Employers Prefer: A high school diploma and skill in sewing clothing
• Skills/Courses: Courses in fabrics, sewing, draping, patternmaking, and design; skills in cutting, fitting, and sewing fabric.