Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers

How to become a Hand Sewer

Official title: Sewers, Hand

Also called: Alteration Specialist, Couturier, Custom Clothier, Custom Designer, Custom Seamstress, Seamstress, Stitcher

Sew, join, reinforce, or finish, usually with needle and thread, a variety of manufactured items. Includes weavers and stitchers.

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $36,480 a year The middle half earn $33,330 to $40,720.
About 5,300 people work in this job now, and about 4,600 are projected by 2035. (-12%)
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 Hand Sewer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $36,480 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $33,330 to $40,720.

Is a Hand Sewer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 12% by 2035, from about 5,300 to about 4,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Hand Sewer?

Usually not. Only 24% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Hand Sewer?

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.