Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers

How to become a Presser

Official title: Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials

Also called: Boarder, Dry Cleaner Presser, Garment Presser, Ironing Machine Operator, Ironing Worker, Pants Presser, Presser, Pressing Machine Operator, Shirt Presser, Silk Presser

Press or shape articles by hand or machine.

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $35,060 a year The middle half earn $29,870 to $37,940.
About 26,300 people work in this job now, and about 22,200 are projected by 2035. (-15.7%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How much does a Presser earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $35,060 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $29,870 to $37,940.

Is a Presser a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 16% by 2035, from about 26,300 to about 22,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Presser?

Usually not. Only 4% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Presser?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.