Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $38,910 at the median, or about $18.71 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $42,432 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month, about 49.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers pay in Des Moines-West Des Moines tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $42K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,318/month, which is 50.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $49K | $51K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $46K | $44K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $46K | $44K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $44K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $16K 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
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 50.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,795/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $42K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $38,910 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,910, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $46,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,626/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 50.2% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $42,432 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.