| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
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| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 100 (%) | Description: Trim excess material, using scissors. |
| Importance: 99 (%) | Description: Sew garments, using needles and thread or sewing machines. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Repair or replace defective garment parts, such as pockets, zippers, snaps, buttons, and linings. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Remove stitches from garments to be altered, using rippers or razor blades. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Press garments, using hand irons or pressing machines. |
| Importance: 94 (%) | Description: Make garment style changes, such as tapering pant legs, narrowing lapels, and adding or removing padding. |
| Importance: 93 (%) | Description: Measure parts, such as sleeves or pant legs, and mark or pin-fold alteration lines. |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Take up or let down hems to shorten or lengthen garment parts, such as sleeves. |
| Importance: 91 (%) | Description: Let out or take in seams in suits and other garments to improve fit. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Maintain garment drape and proportions as alterations are performed. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Assemble garment parts and join parts with basting stitches, using needles and thread or sewing machines. |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Fit and study garments on customers to determine required alterations. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Put in padding and shaping materials. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Sew buttonholes and attach buttons to finish garments. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Measure customers, using tape measures, and record measurements. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Record required alterations and instructions on tags, and attach them to garments. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Examine tags on garments to determine alterations that are needed. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Fit, alter, repair, and make made-to-measure clothing, according to customers' and clothing manufacturers' specifications and fit, and applying principles of garment design, construction, and styling. |
| Importance: 74 (%) | Description: Position patterns of garment parts on fabric, and cut fabric along outlines, using scissors. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Confer with customers to determine types of material and garment styles desired. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Estimate how much a garment will cost to make, based on factors such as time and material requirements. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Develop, copy, or adapt designs for garments, and design patterns to fit measurements, applying knowledge of garment design, construction, styling, and fabric. |
Associate Degree Careers and Jobs
Explore Careers and Jobs Predominantly Filled by Those with an Associate's Degree or Less - All On One Page.
Sorted by median annual U.S. salary and including percentage of job holders with Associate's Degree or less.
An associate's degree can open doors to skilled technical, healthcare, and business support roles without the time commitment of a four-year degree. For people who want a faster, more affordable path into a stable career. Compare careers ranked by salary, review degree-holder and experience percentages, and access preparation resources for each role.
Here is a short Helper Video 
.
This page will take you through 4 steps, relative to an Associate's Degree, to (1) Select a career, (2) Find active job listings, (3) Prepare for the career you chose, and (4) Provide web resources specific to the career you chose.
Step 1: Select a Career: You will be presented with a listing of Associate's Degree careers. The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of careers below
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover careers that might be of interest.
Once you have identified a career of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the career you selected. Information includes core and supplemental duties, general and specific work activities, knowledge required, essential and transferable skills required, day-in-the-life summaries, knowledge required, software skills required, preparation required, educational requirements, training and work experience required, local salary information, certifications, professional associations, current job listings for the job selected along with multiple similar job titles, and related careers (related to what they do, what they know, and what they're called).
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that will provide detailed (updated) links to occupational information specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career
Leading Books About Associate Degree Jobs
What jobs can you get with an Associate's Degree? Scroll through the picklist (below). These are careers related to the Associate's Degree level, with at least 30% of job holders having an Associate's Degree. - 571 specific careers are listed, with matching jobs currently available. Select those careers that may be of interest - you will then get links to matching active job listings, and detailed resources to help you prepare.
You can use this form two ways:
1) Enter a Keyword - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the listing to those careers that contain the keyword entered
2) Browse the list (Don't enter a keyword) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover jobs that might be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title - Sorted by Annual Salary -(scroll and Select) :
Legend: Career Title Link / (% having Associate's Degree or less) / (Median Annual U.S. Salary)
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings for: Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Prepare for the "Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers" Career
The details below will provide a pathway to your specific job goal and help you to identify an appropriate career ladder.
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers
Description: Design, make, alter, repair, or fit garments.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
42,000U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
38,900
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
-3,100 (-7.4%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
4,900
Core Duties
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
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| Adjust fabrics or other materials during garment production. | |
| Confer with customers or designers to determine order specifications. | |
| Cut fabrics. | |
| Design templates or patterns. | |
| Estimate costs of products, services, or materials. | |
| Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information. | |
| Measure clients to ensure proper product fit. | |
| Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators. | |
| Operate sewing equipment. | |
| Position patterns on equipment, materials, or workpieces. | |
| Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements. | |
| Record operational or production data. | |
| Repair textiles or apparel. | |
| Sew clothing or other articles. | |
| Smooth garments with irons, presses, or steamers. | |
| Trim excess material from workpieces. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications. |
| Activity: Cut materials. |
| Activity: Design materials or devices. |
| Activity: Determine values or prices of goods or services. |
| Activity: Maintain operational records. |
| Activity: Mark materials or objects for identification. |
| Activity: Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment. |
| Activity: Operate industrial processing or production equipment. |
| Activity: Position tools or equipment. |
| Activity: Position workpieces or materials on equipment. |
| Activity: Read documents or materials to inform work processes. |
| Activity: Sew garments or materials. |
| Activity: Take physical measurements of patients or clients. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software: |
| Google Docs Microsoft Word |
| General Software Tools |
| Accounting software: |
| Bookkeeping software |
| Computer aided design CAD software: |
| Garment design software |
| Customer relationship management CRM software: |
| Tailor Master |
| Inventory management software: |
| Inventory tracking software |
| Point of sale POS software: |
| ArbelSoft TailorMax |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 57.7 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 16.9 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Frequency of Attainment: 16.0 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.5 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 26.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 22.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 18.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.8 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 5.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 10 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Certifications
| Certifications These are examples of certifications that may be important for this occupation. How can you begin exploring which certifications fit your goals and what steps you would need to take to earn them? |
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Master Alteration Specialist
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Professional Associations
| Professional Associations These associations connect people who work in this occupation or related fields. How can you start using these associations to learn more, build your network, or find mentoring opportunities? |
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Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC)
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Association of Sewing and Design Professionals (ASDP)
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The Embroiderers' Guild of America (EGA)
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Job Listings
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated)
This section contains detailed resources appropriate to "Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
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