Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers Salary
In New York, tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn $60,210 at the median, or about $28.95 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.21), that's roughly $61,307 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,917/month, about 48.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New York. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $60K get you in New York?
About tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers
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What this looks like in New York
New York sits well above the national pay line for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers, local pay runs about 45% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,917/month, which is 48.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.21) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York
Entry-level tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers salary by metro in New York
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $63K | +5% | 1,100 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $54K | -11% | N/A |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $49K | -19% | 60 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $48K | -20% | 60 |
| Rochester | $44K | -27% | 50 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 48.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,917/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 New York?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,428/month. At HUD’s $1,917/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 New York?
Local pay is 45% above the national median — $60K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does New York compare to the national average for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers?
New York pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +45%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers make in New York?
The median is $60,210 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,470, and experienced tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers can clear $89,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in New York?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,976/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,917/month, which eats 48.2% 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 New York?
New York has a Regional Price Parity of 98.21 (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 $61,307 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.