Sewing jobs include working a sewing machine in a factory, altering and repairing clothes, and making custom garments for clients. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counted 117,200 sewing machine operator jobs and 33,200 tailor, dressmaker and custom sewer jobs in 2025, including self-employed workers.
This guide covers the types of sewing jobs, what they pay, how to get started, where to look, and what sewing jobs from home really involve. It was last reviewed in October 2026.
Sewing jobs are posted on general job sites, state job banks and USAJOBS, on theater job boards, and by employers such as uniform companies, resorts, cruise lines and theme parks. See all job boards and employers.
Types of Sewing Jobs
- Sewing machine operators sew parts of garments, textile products and other items, usually in factories. In May 2025, the industries employing the most were cut and sew apparel manufacturing, other textile product mills, textile furnishings mills, and furniture and related product manufacturing.
- Tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers design, make, alter, repair and fit garments. Employees work mostly for clothing retailers, dry cleaning and laundry services, and repair and maintenance businesses. Many others are self-employed.
Other work that uses sewing skills includes upholstery, patternmaking, costume work and teaching sewing classes. The BLS counted 22,700 upholsterer jobs and 3,000 fabric and apparel patternmaker jobs in 2025.
Sewing Job Pay
These BLS median wages are from May 2025:
- Sewing machine operators: $17.63 an hour, or $36,670 a year.
- Tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers: $20.02 an hour, or $41,640 a year.
- Upholsterers: $46,340 a year.
- Fabric and apparel patternmakers: $62,750 a year.
Pay depends on location, the employer and your experience. The figures are for employees and do not describe what self-employed sewers earn.
How to Get Started
Most employers want to see that you can sew well and work accurately, and many ask for machine experience. These steps can help:
- Learn the basics. Practice straight stitching, hems, zippers and buttonholes on a home machine, or take a local class.
- Build a few samples. A few finished pieces, or before-and-after photos of alterations, show your skill.
- Start with alterations. Dry cleaners, tailors and clothing retailers often need people for hemming and repairs.
- Ask local manufacturers. Some sewing factories and upholstery shops may train on site, so it is worth asking.
How to Find Sewing Jobs
Search for terms like “sewing machine operator,” “seamstress,” “tailor,” “stitcher” and “alterations.” Local dry cleaners, alteration shops, clothing stores and manufacturers also post openings in their windows or hire by referral, so a short visit with a few samples can be worth the trip.
Job Sites
- General job sites. Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn Jobs and Glassdoor carry the most listings. Set up alerts for each job title so new openings come to you.
- Snagajob. This site focuses on hourly and part-time work, which covers many production and alterations jobs.
- Your state job bank. Every state runs a free job bank, and local employers often post there first. CareerOneStop links to each one.
- USAJOBS. Federal sewing jobs are listed under two trade codes: 3111 (Sewing Machine Operating) and 3105 (Fabric Working). Searching those codes finds openings in military and other federal shops.
Employers Beyond Factories and Tailor Shops
- Uniform companies. Cintas careers lists seamstress and tailor jobs at its locations across the US, including uniform rooms it runs for hotels. Other uniform rental companies hire for similar work.
- Resorts and casinos. Large resorts keep uniform rooms with seamstresses on staff. The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas is one that has advertised for them.
- Cruise ships. Cruise lines hire tailors to work on board, altering and repairing uniforms and guests’ clothes. Search for “tailor” on AllCruiseJobs, which lists roles from lines such as Royal Caribbean Group and MSC Cruises.
- Theme parks. Disney Careers has listed sewing specialist and construction sewing specialist jobs at Walt Disney World, where staff make and repair costumes.
- Bridal shops. David’s Bridal careers lists seamstress and lead seamstress jobs at its stores.
- Menswear stores. Tailored Brands careers, the parent company of Men’s Wearhouse, lists retail store tailor jobs.
- AbilityOne Program nonprofits. Nonprofits in this federal program employ people who are blind or have significant disabilities, and some of them sew uniforms and other items for the military.
- Aircraft interiors. Business jet makers and aircraft interior shops hire upholstery and sewing technicians for seats, panels and carpets. Gulfstream careers lists upholstery technician jobs at its Savannah site.
- Parachute makers. Airborne Systems hires sewing machine operators for parachute parts, and BRS Aerospace hires parachute riggers. Expect a sewing test, and US citizenship or permanent residence may be required.
- Sail lofts. Sailmakers such as Quantum Sails and Doyle Sails post openings on their own websites.
- Outdoor gear makers. US makers of backpacks, tents and other gear hire stitchers, and some train new staff. Check the careers pages of gear brands that make their products in the US.
- Medical device makers. Some hire sewing technicians or textile fabricators to sew implants and other medical soft goods. Search for “sewing technician” and “textile fabricator.”
Theater and Costume Job Boards
- ArtSearch costume jobs. Regional theaters and universities list stitcher, draper, first hand and costume shop roles.
- Playbill Jobs. Theaters post wardrobe and costume roles, including summer stock jobs.
- USITT job board. The theater technology association lists costume, wardrobe and seasonal festival jobs.
- OPERA America job listings. Opera companies post costume shop jobs here, including overhire roles: extra staff hired for a single production.
Freelance and Self-Employed Work
- Upwork sewing jobs. Small brands and designers post freelance work here, such as sample sewing, pattern testing and small production runs.
- Upwork pattern maker jobs. Brands post freelance patternmaking and sample development projects, many of which can be done remotely.
- Thumbtack. If you work for yourself, this site lets local customers find you for alterations, tailoring and dressmaking.
More Sewing Job Articles
These articles cover individual sewing jobs in more detail:
- Sewing machine operator jobs: what the work involves and how to get hired.
- Alterations jobs: working as an alterations specialist or tailor.
- Upholstery jobs: furniture, auto and marine work.
- Technical sewing jobs: canvas, marine, furnishings and other industrial work.
- Costume shop jobs: stitcher, draper and wardrobe roles.
- Sample sewer and patternmaker jobs: working in fashion.
- Embroidery machine operator jobs: running machines that stitch designs onto products.
- Entry-level sewing jobs: training, pay and how to move up.
- Sewing resume: what to include and which skills to list.
- Sewing tests for job applicants: what to expect and how to prepare.
- Sewing jobs at home as a contractor: what is legitimate and what to avoid.
Sewing Jobs From Home
Most employed sewing jobs are done on site, because factories and shops provide the machines, materials and supervision. Sewing from home usually means working for yourself. Common options are:
- Alterations and repairs for neighbors and local customers.
- Custom sewing, such as curtains, costumes or made-to-measure clothing.
- Selling finished items online or at craft fairs.
- Teaching beginner sewing classes in person or online.
Our sewing business posts cover each of these, starting with how to start a sewing business from home, what to sew to sell, bestselling sewing crafts and choosing a sewing machine for your business.
Offers that ask you to pay for a kit, sew items at home and mail them back were mostly scams. Read our guide to product assembly jobs from home before responding to one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need formal training to work as a seamstress?
Not always. Many employers care most about your sewing skill and machine experience, and some train new hires. Samples of your work help.
How much do sewing jobs pay?
The BLS median was $17.63 an hour for sewing machine operators and $20.02 an hour for tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers in May 2025.
Is there legitimate sewing work I can do from home?
Yes, if you run it as your own business, for example with alterations or custom orders. Treat any offer that asks you to pay for a starter kit as a warning sign.
Where do tailors and seamstresses work?
Mostly in clothing stores, alteration and repair shops, and dry cleaning businesses. Sewing machine operators work mainly in apparel and textile manufacturing.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS Profiles, May 2025 and Data for Occupations Not Covered in Detail.
Smoky Mountain hair ties is a scam! Yeah you may get paid a little then they’ll hang up on you and keep your deposit $ and whatever they owe you. Someday they will have to answer to God for this.
Thank you for writing in, Naomi. And yes, you could be right. The product assembly companies that are scams do that as well. In order to scam a person they make initial small payments so that the person gets encourages to buy more materials from them and maybe even recommend them to others. Then when they have gotten enough from you, they shut down your payments on one excuse or the other.
Also, because you got paid in the past, they get to cover up later saying that they are legit because they paid you that one or two times and the reasons for dis-contintuing payment is something like ‘quality issues’.
I think it also helps them avoid making the refund.
Please get in touch the with Better Business Bureau immediately if you feel that you have been scammed by Smoky Mountain.
They will help you resolve your complaint the get your refund back if you are eligible for it. Just go http://www.bbb.org.
Keep us posted on how it goes.
Best regards,
Admin.
I called to this company “Snowy Mountain Hair Ties”
but the lady who picked up the phone sais that was a wron nomber,she knew what I was talking about since other people been calling before,
she thinks there most be a mistake number.
I was interested and more information about that work at home ither for me or my daughter, even if I’m already starter working with thise other company NSP, where you can work also from home they train you, have educational tools asan webinars, free comference calls I know this company for about ten years and it have very good reputation it been in business For nearly 36 years, they have led the industry with proven, quality products and a lucrative compensation plan.
If someone is interested in more information about it you can check it out here http://mynsp.com/goodchoice/Opportunity/Overview.aspx
Hello Irene,
I know you posted this comment a long time back but I just happen to come across some information on the Internet that made me think of the comment you posted here. You were asking about a comany that lets you make men’s ties at home. I did come across this company that says that its a craft assembly company and provides this very kind of work to its home assemblers. This is the information I have so far:
Snowy Mountain Hair Ties
P.O. Box 1013
Loustown, MT 59457
Phone: 406-538-5130
Income Potential: $240.00 per week maximum for 120 hair ties
It’s a good thing there is a phone number listed as well.Why don’t you look these people up and give them a call. I would love to hear how that goes.
I sure hope you get to read this. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Hi I just wanted to let know every body that this companies named sweetpeas and bella beads are scam she cashed the check for star kit send the material for a sample,I send the sample plus $18 for material for first set it’s been almost 2 months and they don’t return my calls, I’m being searching for information of this companie to late I found out that is a scam. Beware
The owener’s name is Gina Straw.
Check on more information at the website below
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/248/RipOff0248188.htm
http://www.la.bbb.org/businessreport.aspx?companyid=62000024
Hi,
Thank you for writing in. I was reading what you said about coming across a website offering plenty of ways to make money online with grants, claims processing and all that kind of work.
Well, I would agree with you about the compiled information being compiled together like that being invaluable. Provided the information is genuine.
It is probably not. These websites are carefully engineered and designed sales copies of scams.
Let me ask you this. They want a fee to provide you this information, right? Why on earth would they be doing that. If there are ways of making money from the methods that they are suggesting, they should go ahead and make it themselves. Even hire a few more people and make even more money. Why are they claiming to have this great package of making hundreds of dollars each week and then willing to sell these ‘secrets’ for a few dollars?
Yes, we have all heard the nonsense about how they are only trying to help the fellow home based worker to make money from home. Well, if that is the case, then give it up for free.
Believe me, it has all been tried. Form filling, insurance claims processor, online data entry, coupons jobs and more along the same lines. It has always come up with zero results. The sales copies of these websites are completely misleading and the information that you get in the end, if it is of any use at all, is completely different than what you thought you were getting.
Just remember this. There are no secrets for making thousands of dollars from home. And if there are..? they are certainly not selling on the internet for $34.99.
hehe and i honestly didn’t realize there was another assembly-jobs.com question.. lol hehe
I don’t realy know where to put this but either way I hope it helps anyone else wit this in mind.. this isn’t realy a forum based site which is probably for the bestseeing how some people have very stupid questions indeed.. but hey, we all see thing’s in a different light..
I’ve been looking for some home assembly jobs, and have come acroos a few site’s that wanted me to pay for the list of assembly companie’s.. with this list they would add in information needed on various aspects of working at home and also important information if you wanted to go into busines for yourself.. A particular site Assembly-jobs.com and another I recently found tonight which say’s it has a list of item’s including irs, cash grants info, online business tips an such.. which I think in a whole together would be a very good batch of files for the smart entrupenuer..
What do you think of this? some of these site’s are basicly cataloging alot of info that takes alot of time to find BY YOURSELF. As soon as i do have the money to spend on this I am going.. it’s some what inaluable since it is all put together in one place.. I wish people knew about this site, you’ve helped me abit an I’m sure have helped others more.. Thank you.
Like I said I’me looking to work from home and am curious about what you had said in another article about virtual support from home.. are there any USA based companies that hire home based worker’s you would recomend?
I’ve been wondering if there is a data base dedicated to — how would I put this, lol.. I’m somewhat stumped.. == A list of jobs and there requirment’s needed.. I mean a FULL job list.. Anything and everything. when you go to college you wan tto be a biologist,, you want to be a engineer.. but in reality you go through all this training and end up falling into a job, which it’s positon name isn’t even engineer of whatever you do.. I’m more of the inventor type,, a jack of all trade’s.. I have no prior college degree’s but have studied a few subject’s.. metal, electricity, wood, auto-cad( whihc right outa schooll there are no jobs for, I’m pissed),landscaping.. I went to a high school then vocational school.. The problem is I have the urge but don’t have the money for the schooling and don’t know exaclty what I want to do for a career.. somethign I love.. you can’t help me with that I know.. That’s why I’m asking about the Data base of company type/ job position requirement’s..
Thanks,
Gizmo Enigma Bubbles
also,, about assembly-jobs.com I looked for them in the BBB an the search came up zero..
please send info to my email
Thanks for the information.
Hi Irene,
Thank you for writing back. I am glad that you did. There is no short way to respond to your query but I will try. But I still suggest that for a comprehensive outlook go through the various sections of our website.
I looked at the website that you mentioned and it looks like another website trying to sell you a list of product assembling companies. There is no mention of any sort of contact information on the website. There is no physical address, phone number or a way of speaking to someone before you buy. These are the first signs for another typical website trying to sell a get rich quick scheme. It is our strong advice to steer clear of companies and websites that refrain from diverging essential information about themselves. This is literally the first step in distinguishing between the genuine and the false offers.
There are several other websites similar to this one who sell you this kind of information. All these different websites under different names have the same thing in common. They promise hundreds of dollars every week in income and they all sell the same old list of companies.
Please understand that these websites have no connection whatsoever with the companies contained in their list. The make huge promises of income potential in order to convince you to buy this information from them. Nor will they provide any sort of assistance with the work after thet are done seling their information to you.
First of all, you do not have to pay anyone to view these companies as they are all listed here for free.
Secondly, a majority of this listing is in completely unsatisfactory standing with the Better Business Bureau with most of them having a rating of F. The rating of F signifies the lowest ranking that the Better Business Bureau gives to any business on the basis of the credibility and reliability.
There are perhaps a handful of product and craft making companies that people are actually working for. We have listed them here on this website under Top 5 companies. You can also easily locate the people working for them in some popular forums. But in spite of this, you need to understand that the income potential is limited. Most of the people who do product and craft assembling at home to it for the love of craft making and mostly as a hobby. It is something to be done for fun and not to make a serious income of. Even the Better Business Bureau remarks that they have no records nationwide of anyone having made a substantial amount of money for a sustained period of time doing this kind of work.
Finally I would like to bring to your notice the other jobs and opportunities that are listed as bonuses on the product assembling website that you mentioned earlier. They are all of the nature that is frowned upon and commonly known as scams by most of the authorities. Please read the following excerpt from the website of the Better Business Bureau.
“The Better Business Bureau warns against paying up front fees for work-at-home opportunities, which are often described as voice mail retrieval, reading email, stuffing or mailing of envelopes, processing mail, being a home mailer, updating mailing lists, typing labels, home secretarial work, e-commerce at home, or home computer work. The Bureau’s experience is that these are often a variation on a chain letter. Those schemes are regularly shut down by the United States Postal Inspectors. If you are calling to complain about a problem with this company, and the complaint involves one of the opportunities just described, please file your complaint instead with the Postal Inspectors by calling 800-372-8347.
Other schemes may be described as medical billing opportunities, reviewing movies, reading books, or home assembly of various products.
How do you find a real job, which allows you to work at home? You can sign up with your state’s employment commission or check out the classified ads. Do not expect to find real jobs that pay good money for easy work to be done at home. The request for an up front fee is a big warning sign. Even if the company is offering a home assembly opportunity or a directory of companies looking for homeworkers, we advise caution before paying any up front fees for any reason. You normally will no more have to pay to work at home than you would to work in an office, if the job is real. Because these types of companies come and go so quickly, the absence of complaints at the Better Business Bureau is not a good indicator that the company is legitimate. The victims may be too embarrassed to complain or the scheme may be structured to make it look like any problems are the fault of the victim.”
As for the other company that you mentioned by the name of LEPJAC, they also run product assembling company by the name of Over the Arm Purse. The postbox address is listed along with other companies here on this website.
But they have no record whatsoever with the Better Business Bureau and are highly suspect.
The company website is Assembly-jobs.com which allows you to download information included in their assembly catalog ( loads of items to make plus an additional listing) with all the bells and whistles but request $39.00 for the purchase.
Also. I looked up a website for Lepjac Enterprises OAP..no such site and found no factory with this name in Winkleman, Arizona. This is a handbag company. Are they legit.
Hi Irene,
Thank you for writing in. I do not have any specific information related to the business of sewing ties at home. But I am going to look it up and post the update if I find any.
If you let me know the website that you are talking about, I can look in to it and try to find more information about it for you i.e. if it is legitimate or not.
Do you have any manufacturers that allow you to sew men’s ties at home?
I know there is one from another website but you have to purchase their $39.00 assembly catalog to find out who it is. I am interested in the making handbags also.
Thanks