Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Kansas, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $27,110 at the median, or about $13.03 an hour. The range runs from $20K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.54), which stretches that salary to about $30,277 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,066/month, about 55.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Kansas. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $27K get you in Kansas?
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in Kansas
Pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in Kansas runs about 35% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,066/month, which is 55.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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, Kansas
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $20K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kansas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 55.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,066/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Kansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $20K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,171/month. At HUD’s $1,066/month FMR, rent would take 91% 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 Kansas?
Local pay runs 35% below the national median — $27K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kansas compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Kansas pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Kansas?
The median is $27,110 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $19,510, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $39,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Kansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,909/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,066/month, which eats 55.8% 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 Kansas?
Kansas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.54 (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 $30,277 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.