Sewers, Hand
Also called: Alteration Specialist, Apparel Specialist, Bale Sewer, Baseball Hand Sewer, Beadworker, Casing Sewer, Cloth Bale Header, Clothier
Sew, join, reinforce, or finish, usually with needle and thread, a variety of manufactured items.
What sewers, hand do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- 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.
- Fit garments on clients, altering as needed.
- Smooth seams with heated irons, flat bones, or rubbing sticks.
- Draw and cut patterns according to specifications.
- Fold, twist, stretch, or drape material, and secure articles in preparation for sewing.
- Sew buttonholes, or add lace or other trimming.
- Tie, knit, weave or knot ribbon, yarn, or decorative materials.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Sewers, Hand salary
The median annual wage for sewers, hand is $36,480 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $27,680 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $47,570. The mean annual wage is $37,210.
The mean hourly wage of $17.00 is 2.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Sewers, Hand (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $36,480 → in 3 years $38,600 → in 5 years $40,100 → in 10 years $44,200 (10-year range $38,000–$51,300). The model assumes pay growth of +1.9% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Sewers, Hand
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Sewers, Hand? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Sewers, Hand
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Sewers, Hand
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become sewers, hand
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as sewers, hand
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.