Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Kentucky, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $32,530 at the median, or about $15.64 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $36,052 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 50% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $33K get you in Kentucky?
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in Kentucky runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 49.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (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, Kentucky
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers salary by metro in Kentucky
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $34K | +6% | 100 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $33K | +3% | 60 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 49.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/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 Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,783/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Kentucky?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $33K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Kentucky pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Kentucky?
The median is $32,530 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,710, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $41,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,240/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 49.6% 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (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 $36,052 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.