Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In Montana, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $34,710 at the median, or about $16.69 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $35,784 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 47.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Montana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $35K get you in Montana?
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in Montana
Pay for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers in Montana runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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, Montana
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $10K 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 Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,000/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Montana?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $35K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
Montana pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in Montana?
The median is $34,710 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,330, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $42,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,415/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 46.7% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $35,784 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.