Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Iowa, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $31,680 at the median, or about $15.23 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $35,652 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,064/month, about 49.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Iowa. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $32K get you in Iowa?
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in Iowa
Pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in Iowa runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,064/month, which is 48.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers salary by metro in Iowa
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $39K | +23% | 50 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 48.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,648/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Iowa?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $32K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Iowa pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Iowa?
The median is $31,680 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,460, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $42,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,175/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 48.9% 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 Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (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 $35,652 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.