Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $46,230 at the median, or about $22.23 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $45,790 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 56.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Charleston-North Charleston sits well above the national pay line for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 56.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $37K | $39K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $31K | $33K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $51K | $51K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $46K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $60K | +45% | 1,160 |
| District of Columbia | $58K | +39% | 80 |
| Washington | $54K | +30% | 100 |
| Hawaii | $54K | +29% | N/A |
| Colorado | $51K | +23% | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +21% | N/A |
| Nevada | $49K | +18% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +16% | 610 |
| Missouri | $48K | +16% | 200 |
| Maryland | $48K | +16% | N/A |
| Utah | $48K | +15% | 290 |
| Oregon | $47K | +14% | 100 |
| Minnesota | $46K | +11% | 290 |
| Virginia | $46K | +11% | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +10% | 60 |
| Delaware | $44K | +7% | N/A |
| California | $44K | +7% | 2,180 |
| New Mexico | $43K | +4% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $43K | +4% | 210 |
| Georgia | $43K | +4% | 360 |
| New Jersey | $43K | +4% | 350 |
| Illinois | $42K | +2% | 320 |
| North Carolina | $41K | -1% | 740 |
| Arizona | $40K | -3% | N/A |
| Connecticut | $40K | -4% | 210 |
| Florida | $40K | -4% | 920 |
| Tennessee | $39K | -7% | 170 |
| Nebraska | $38K | -8% | 40 |
| Michigan | $38K | -10% | 280 |
| Ohio | $37K | -11% | 510 |
| Indiana | $36K | -12% | 360 |
| Texas | $36K | -13% | 1,540 |
| Montana | $35K | -17% | 50 |
| Louisiana | $34K | -19% | 250 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -21% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $33K | -22% | 230 |
| Iowa | $32K | -24% | 130 |
| Alabama | $31K | -25% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -26% | 80 |
| Kansas | $27K | -35% | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $26K | -37% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $25K | -39% | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 42 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 56.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,912/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 93% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $46K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $46,230 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,860, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $46,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,155/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 56.6% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers salary is worth about $45,790 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.