Production · Holland code RC
Sewers, Hand
Sew, join, reinforce, or finish, usually with needle and thread, a variety of manufactured items. Includes weavers and stitchers.
Also called: Alteration Specialist, Couturier, Custom Clothier, Seamstress, Custom Designer, Custom Seamstress, Stitcher.
O*NET 51-6051.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $36,480
- Middle half earn $33,330 to $40,720. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Less than a High School Diploma
- 82% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Fit garments on clients, altering as needed.
- Select thread, twine, cord, or yarn to be used, and thread needles.
- Measure and align parts, fasteners, or trimmings, following seams, edges, or markings on parts.
- Trim excess threads or edges of parts, using scissors or knives.
- Smooth seams with heated irons, flat bones, or rubbing sticks.
- Sew, join, reinforce, or finish parts of articles, such as garments, books, mattresses, toys, and wigs, using needles and thread or other materials.
- Use different sewing techniques such as felling, tacking, basting, embroidery, and fagoting.
- Draw and cut patterns according to specifications.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening2.6 / 5
- Speaking2.6 / 5
- Monitoring2.6 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.5 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.5 / 5
- Active Learning2.4 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service3.4 / 5
- Administration and Management3.0 / 5
- English Language2.9 / 5
- Mechanical2.5 / 5
- Education and Training2.4 / 5
- Mathematics2.3 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic91
- Investigative0
- Artistic23
- Social9
- Enterprising2
- Conventional38
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- tailor · DE Herrenschneider/Herrenschneiderin · FR tailleur/tailleuse
- embroiderer · DE Textilgestalter im Handwerk – Sticken/Textilgestalterin im Handwerk – Sticken · FR brodeur/brodeuse
- glove maker · DE Handschuhmacher/Handschuhmacherin · FR gantier/gantière
- made-up textile articles manufacturer · DE Hersteller von konfektionierten Textilwaren/Herstellerin von konfektionierten Textilwaren · FR fabricant d’articles textiles confectionnés/fabricante d’articles textiles confectionnés
- sewing machinist · DE Textil- und Modenäher/Textil- und Modenäherin · FR couseur à la machine/couseuse à la machine
- mattress maker · DE Matratzenhersteller/Matratzenherstellerin · FR matelassier/matelassière
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Upholsterers (5411)12,800 employed
- Footwear and leather working trades (5412)7,700 employed
- Sewing machinists (8146)19,100 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.60. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-6051).
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