Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Hawaii, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $53,680 at the median, or about $25.81 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.17), so that salary is closer to $48,725 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,240/month, about 63.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Hawaii. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in Hawaii?
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in Hawaii
Hawaii sits well above the national pay line for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers, local pay runs about 29% 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 $2,240/month, which is 64.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.17), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hawaii
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $28K spread from bottom to top.
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers salary by metro in Hawaii
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu | $54K | +0% | N/A |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hawaii numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hawaii?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 64.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,240/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Hawaii?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,290/month. At HUD’s $2,240/month FMR, rent would take 98% 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 Hawaii?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $54K here vs. $42K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Hawaii compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Hawaii pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Hawaii?
The median is $53,680 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,160, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $65,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Hawaii?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,473/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,240/month, which eats 64.5% 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 Hawaii?
Hawaii has a Regional Price Parity of 110.17 (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 $48,725 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.