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Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials: Career Profile
Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
The Daily Work of Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Do?
The core tasks performed by pressers, textile, garment, and related materials cover:
- Hang, fold, package, and tag finished articles for delivery to customers.
- Operate steam, hydraulic, or other pressing machines to remove wrinkles from garments and flatwork items, or to shape, form, or patch articles.
- Straighten, smooth, or shape materials to prepare them for pressing.
- Remove finished pieces from pressing machines and hang or stack them for cooling, or forward them for additional processing.
- Finish pleated garments, determining sizes of pleats from evidence of old pleats or from work orders, using machine presses or hand irons.
- Lower irons, rams, or pressing heads of machines into position over material to be pressed.
- Identify and treat spots on garments.
- Shrink, stretch, or block articles by hand to conform to original measurements, using forms, blocks, and steam.
What Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Need to Know
Successful pressers, textile, garment, and related materials draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- All-Around Presser
- Armhole Presser
- Automatic Presser
- Blocker
- Boarder
- Bobbin Presser
- Brim Presser
- Buffing Wheel Presser
Employment and Demand
There are about 439,453 pressers, textile, garment, and related materials working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +9.9% over the projection horizon.
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $58,112 |
| Hourly median | $27.94 |
| 10th percentile | $41,770 |
| 25th percentile | $49,941 |
| 75th percentile | $66,283 |
| 90th percentile | $74,454 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $38,260 |
| California | $38,160 |
| New Hampshire | $38,140 |
| Maine | $37,700 |
| Connecticut | $36,640 |
| Colorado | $36,540 |
| Minnesota | $35,730 |
| Delaware | $35,620 |
| Wisconsin | $35,250 |
| Arizona | $35,090 |
| New Jersey | $34,860 |
| Hawaii | $34,810 |
| New York | $34,690 |
| Idaho | $34,570 |
| Utah | $34,450 |
| Michigan | $34,420 |
| Oregon | $34,300 |
| Massachusetts | $34,080 |
| Illinois | $33,880 |
| Maryland | $32,560 |
| Nevada | $32,130 |
| Nebraska | $31,970 |
| Missouri | $31,760 |
| Tennessee | $31,520 |
| Iowa | $30,760 |
| Indiana | $30,680 |
| West Virginia | $30,620 |
| Kentucky | $30,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,180 |
| Kansas | $30,110 |
| North Carolina | $30,050 |
| Ohio | $29,720 |
| Alaska | $29,670 |
| Louisiana | $29,600 |
| Wyoming | $29,570 |
| Florida | $29,450 |
| Virginia | $28,790 |
| New Mexico | $28,730 |
| Arkansas | $28,670 |
| South Carolina | $28,330 |
| South Dakota | $28,200 |
| Texas | $27,460 |
| Alabama | $27,320 |
| Oklahoma | $27,320 |
| Georgia | $26,950 |
| Mississippi | $26,300 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,050 |
Where Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Earn the Most
Compensation for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $37,068 | 22.4% | 1.64 |
| New England | $35,923 | 6.8% | 2.56 |
| Rocky Mountains | $34,741 | 3.1% | 1.00 |
| Middle Atlantic | $33,856 | 15.5% | 1.16 |
| Great Lakes | $32,332 | 10.0% | 0.87 |
| Plains States | $32,132 | 3.7% | 0.64 |
| Southeast | $28,909 | 25.3% | 1.17 |
| Southwest | $28,397 | 12.4% | 1.01 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $44,250 | 120 |
| Chico, CA | CA | $41,170 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $40,750 | 580 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | WI | $39,160 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $38,730 | 1,980 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $38,300 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $38,280 | 370 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | CA | $38,250 | 50 |
Industry Breakdown
Most pressers, textile, garment, and related materials are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 23,560 | $33,690 |
| Manufacturing | 1,780 | $35,790 |
| Retail Trade | 620 | $34,510 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 190 | $36,480 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 30 | $28,080 |
Below are examples of industries where pressers, textile, garment, and related materials work:
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of pressers, textile, garment, and related materials is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
Entry-level pressers, textile, garment, and related materials positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers (Supplemental)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Primary-Short)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Primary-Short)
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers (Primary-Long)
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders (Primary-Short)
- Sewers, Hand (Supplemental)
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (Supplemental)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials).
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