Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Lexington-Fayette, KY, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $33,380 at the median, or about $16.05 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $35,935 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 55.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $33K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). 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 Lexington-Fayette
Pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in Lexington-Fayette runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 55.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $34K | $37K |
| Cincinnati | $35K | $37K |
| St. Louis | $49K | $51K |
| Columbus | $39K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $9K 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 Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 55.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/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 Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,855/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $33K here vs. $42K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Lexington-Fayette pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $33,380 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,920, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $39,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,294/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 55.4% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (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 $35,935 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.