Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Arizona, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $40,360 at the median, or about $19.4 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.41), that's roughly $41,863 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,437/month, about 51.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arizona. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $40K get you in Arizona?
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in Arizona
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers pay in Arizona tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,437/month, which is 51.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.41) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arizona
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $9K spread from bottom to top.
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers salary by metro in Arizona
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $43K | +8% | N/A |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arizona numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arizona?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 51.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,437/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in Arizona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,276/month. At HUD’s $1,437/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer a high-paying job in Arizona?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Arizona compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Arizona pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Arizona?
The median is $40,360 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,930, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $47,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Arizona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,788/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,437/month, which eats 51.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers salary go in Arizona?
Arizona has a Regional Price Parity of 96.41 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers salary is worth about $41,863 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.