Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Columbia, SC, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $36,690 at the median, or about $17.64 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $39,174 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 51% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (93.66). 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 Columbia
Pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in Columbia runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 49.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $46K | $46K |
| 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, Columbia, SC
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $33K 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 Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 49.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/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 Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,355/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 94% 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 Columbia?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $37K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Columbia pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $36,690 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,580, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $55,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,567/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 49.7% 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 Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 93.66 (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 $39,174 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.