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Sewers, Hand: Career Profile
Sew, join, reinforce, or finish, usually with needle and thread, a variety of manufactured items. Includes weavers and stitchers.
What Do Sewers, Hand Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of sewers, hand cover:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful sewers, hand draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Alteration Specialist
- Apparel Specialist
- Bale Sewer
- Baseball Hand Sewer
- Beadworker
- Casing Sewer
- Cloth Bale Header
- Clothier
How Many Sewers, Hand Are There?
The U.S. employs around 856,020 sewers, hand working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +5.4% over the projection horizon.
Sewers, Hand Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $32,793 |
| Hourly median | $15.77 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $25,674 |
| 75th percentile | $39,912 |
| 90th percentile | $47,031 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Sewers, Hand Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Colorado | $44,090 |
| Georgia | $39,400 |
| Indiana | $38,710 |
| New York | $36,260 |
| Florida | $36,090 |
| California | $35,550 |
| Illinois | $34,000 |
| Massachusetts | $33,430 |
| North Carolina | $33,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,790 |
| Maryland | $32,570 |
| Kentucky | $30,630 |
| Maine | $30,170 |
| Missouri | $29,780 |
| Ohio | $28,390 |
| Alabama | $28,190 |
| Texas | $27,590 |
| Mississippi | $21,170 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for sewers, hand vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountains | $44,090 | 2.4% | 1.01 |
| Far Western US | $35,550 | 9.1% | 0.58 |
| Middle Atlantic | $34,525 | 26.7% | 2.03 |
| Southeast | $33,724 | 24.2% | 1.68 |
| Great Lakes | $33,158 | 12.1% | 1.72 |
| New England | $31,948 | 6.7% | 2.82 |
| Plains States | $29,780 | 3.6% | 1.31 |
| Southwest | $27,590 | 15.2% | 1.26 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Sewers, Hand
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | FL | $47,440 | 40 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $43,930 | |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $36,260 | 210 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $33,980 | |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $32,790 | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | FL | $28,640 | 70 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $28,420 |
Top Industries Employing Sewers, Hand
The largest employers of sewers, hand are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 1,210 | $33,280 |
| Retail Trade | 440 | $33,420 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 160 | $34,820 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 50 | $36,650 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 30 | $31,230 |
Below are examples of industries where sewers, hand work:
Tech Stack
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for sewers, hand reflects the following characteristics:
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Education and Training
Most sewers, hand positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (Supplemental)
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (Supplemental)
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers (Supplemental)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Supplemental)
- Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials (Primary-Long)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Primary-Short)
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers (Primary-Short)
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: 51-6051.00 (Sewers, Hand).