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The national median salary for Sewers, Hand is $36,483 per year ($17.54/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $33,342 and $40,726 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $47,570 per year. There are approximately 2,190 sewers, hand employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Sew, join, reinforce, or finish, usually with needle and thread, a variety of manufactured items. Includes weavers and stitchers.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-7.0%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
700
per year, on avg
Workforce today
5K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing
NAICS 315200
470
$36,480
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers
NAICS 458100
220
$39,440
Printing and Related Support Activities
NAICS 323100
180
$35,190
Other Textile Product Mills
NAICS 314900
100
$34,840
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing
NAICS 339900
70
$35,860
Wage range across top 5 industries: $34,840 to $39,440 (13% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.31
$27,685
P25
$16.03
$33,342
P50MEDIAN
$17.54
$36,483
P75
$19.58
$40,726
P90
$22.87
$47,570
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average sewers, hand salary?
The national median salary for Sewers, Hand is $36,483 per year ($17.54/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $33,342 and $40,726 annually.
How much do top-earning sewers, hand make?
The 90th percentile salary for Sewers, Hand is $47,570 per year ($22.87/hr). The 75th percentile is $40,726 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for sewers, hand?
Entry-level Sewers, Hand (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,685 per year ($13.31/hr). The 25th percentile is $33,342 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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