Tailor / Patternmaker
Cuts, fits and constructs garments to a body rather than a size chart. Alterations fund the practice; bespoke defines it.
- Pay band (est.)
- $41k–$62k
- Time to competence
- 6 years
- Licence
- None
- Setting
- studio
- Leverage
- low
- Place constraint
- high
- Physical demand
- 40/100
- Hours burden
- 50/100
Factor percentiles
Percentile against the whole curated set. Higher is better on that factor only.
- Play68th
Absorbing rather than merely paid.
- Specific knowledge73th
A combination of skills that is hard to copy.
- Leverage14th
Output that scales through code, media, capital or crew.
- Demand1th
Durability and shortage, scored conservatively.
- Pay2th
Mid-career floor and the range above it.
- Body60th
Inverse of physical demand and hours.
- Autonomy22th
Control of methods and time.
- People fit89th
Distance from your preferred people level.
- Place flexibility10th
Remote fit and freedom from specific metros.
- Time to skill44th
Inverse of years to competence.
- Meaning load50th
Closeness to the families you marked as meaningful. Your mapping, not ours.
- Downside tolerance46th
Inverse of named risk to body, market or platform.
Downside
Concentrated in a few cities; competes with cheap ready-to-wear.
Examine this against your weights
The percentiles above use the default weights. Set your own on the ranking and this vocation moves with them.
- Place constraint is high. Where you live is analysed at locationistics.com.
- Hours burden is 50/100 and people intensity 60/100. Who you are with is analysed at relationistics.com.
Source note: BLS OEWS May 2024, Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (51-6052): median $40,860, 90th percentile $62,490. Outlook from BLS 2025-35 projections, -8.8%. Other scores editorial. All figures are estimates for comparison.