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Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
6 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for Alteration Tailor (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Alteration Tailor | 0007 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| CUSTOM TAILOR (Garment) | 0314 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DRESSMAKER | 0144 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| FURRIER | 0214 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| SAMPLE STITCHER (Garment) | 0436 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| SHOP TAILOR | 0515 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers earn, by state
New York has the highest state median for tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers ($60,210) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($23,190), across the 43 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $60,210 | $28.95 | 1,160 |
| District of Columbia | $57,720 | $27.75 | 80 |
| Washington | $54,300 | $26.11 | 100 |
| Hawaii | $53,680 | $25.81 | Not published |
| Colorado | $51,110 | $24.57 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $50,470 | $24.27 | Not published |
| Nevada | $49,150 | $23.63 | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,310 | $23.23 | 610 |
| Missouri | $48,240 | $23.19 | 200 |
| Maryland | $48,200 | $23.17 | Not published |
| Utah | $48,040 | $23.09 | 290 |
| Oregon | $47,450 | $22.81 | 100 |
| Minnesota | $46,180 | $22.20 | 290 |
| Virginia | $46,060 | $22.14 | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $45,970 | $22.10 | 60 |
| Delaware | $44,450 | $21.37 | Not published |
| California | $44,360 | $21.33 | 2,180 |
| New Mexico | $43,350 | $20.84 | Not published |
| Wisconsin | $43,300 | $20.82 | 210 |
| Georgia | $43,260 | $20.80 | 360 |
| New Jersey | $43,150 | $20.75 | 350 |
| Illinois | $42,330 | $20.35 | 320 |
| North Carolina | $41,260 | $19.84 | 740 |
| Arizona | $40,360 | $19.40 | Not published |
| Connecticut | $40,000 | $19.23 | 210 |
| Florida | $39,790 | $19.13 | 920 |
| Tennessee | $38,650 | $18.58 | 170 |
| Nebraska | $38,380 | $18.45 | 40 |
| Michigan | $37,500 | $18.03 | 280 |
| Ohio | $37,170 | $17.87 | 510 |
| Indiana | $36,450 | $17.52 | 360 |
| Texas | $36,260 | $17.44 | 1,540 |
| Montana | $34,710 | $16.69 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $33,560 | $16.14 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $33,030 | $15.88 | 340 |
| Kentucky | $32,530 | $15.64 | 230 |
| Iowa | $31,680 | $15.23 | 130 |
| Alabama | $31,200 | $15.00 | 90 |
| Arkansas | $30,990 | $14.90 | 80 |
| Kansas | $27,110 | $13.03 | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $26,300 | $12.65 | Not published |
| Mississippi | $25,340 | $12.19 | 160 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,190 | $11.15 | Not published |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).