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Tailor
Personal ServicesYou alter, repair, and custom-make clothing with the precision of a surgeon and the patience of a saint. You'll pin hems, take in waists, and let out seams for clients who describe what they want using words that mean nothing — 'just make it look good.' Fast fashion is killing your industry, but people who know the difference between a good fit and a great fit will always find you.
Salary Range
Low
$22k
Median
$36k
High
$60k
10-Year Growth
slower
US Workers
22K
Education
Apprenticeship or trade school — years of hand skills that can't be rushed
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Pattern drafting and garment construction
- ▸Industrial and domestic sewing machine operation
- ▸Fabric identification and handling
- ▸Alterations (hemming, tapering, letting out, taking in)
- ▸Hand-sewing techniques (blind stitch, buttonhole, beading)
- ▸Pressing and finishing equipment
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Precision and attention to detail
- ▸Patience with fine work
- ▸Customer communication
- ▸Aesthetic judgment
- ▸Time management
What you'll actually do
- 01Measure clients and mark alterations with chalk and pins while they fidget
- 02Hem pants, take in jackets, and let out seams with stitch precision measured in fractions of an inch
- 03Operate industrial sewing machines that could sew through your finger if you lose focus for a second
- 04Advise clients on what alterations are possible and which ones would basically be a new garment
- 05Press and finish garments so they look like they were always supposed to fit that way
- 06Handle rush alterations for weddings, interviews, and funerals — the three events that demand perfect fit
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