Median Salary and Benefits

• Dressmakers earned median salaries of $26,560 per year, according to May 2010 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Median salaries are those that appear in the middle of salary lists, which may vary somewhat from mean or average salaries. The middle half earned annual salaries between $20,640 and $34,160 per year. The top 10 percent earned at least $42,030 annually and those in the bottom 10 percent made no more than $17,630 per year. Dressmakers earned average annual salaries of $28,360. Full-time professionals usually are eligible for benefits, including major medical and life insurance, paid holidays, and vacations and retirement savings plans.
  
  

Average Salary by Industry

• Dressmakers' salaries can vary according to the industries in which they are employed. Those working in management positions for companies and major corporations earned the highest annual salaries at $38,980, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They earned the second highest average salaries working for department stores at $35,960 per year. Those working for local government agencies earned annual salaries of $32,750, and those employed by universities and colleges earned salaries of $32,320 per year.
  
  

Average Salary by State

• Dressmakers earned their highest salaries in New York at $33,460 per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics' data. Many design companies are based in New York City, which can impact salaries positively. New York City also is number two on the list of world fashion capitals, according to an August 2011 article from "New York Post" online. Hence, dressmakers may command higher salaries in this state. These professionals also earned relatively high salaries in Nevada at $32,960 per year. Those in Michigan earned closer to average salaries at $28,130 annually. Dress design professionals earned $27,140 per year in Florida.
  
  

Job Outlook

• The number of jobs for dressmakers, including tailors and custom sewers, is expected to change very little between 2008 and 2018, according to a December 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics' report. Growth, if any, will occur among those designing upper-scale fashions. These professionals also will find work as other dressmakers retire.