Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials: Career Overview
Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
Featured schools near , edit
The Daily Work of Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Do?
The core tasks performed by pressers, textile, garment, and related materials include:
- Hang, fold, package, and tag finished articles for delivery to customers.
- Operate steam, hydraulic, or other pressing machines to remove wrinkles from garments and flatwork items, or to shape, form, or patch articles.
- Straighten, smooth, or shape materials to prepare them for pressing.
- Remove finished pieces from pressing machines and hang or stack them for cooling, or forward them for additional processing.
- Finish pleated garments, determining sizes of pleats from evidence of old pleats or from work orders, using machine presses or hand irons.
- Lower irons, rams, or pressing heads of machines into position over material to be pressed.
- Identify and treat spots on garments.
- Shrink, stretch, or block articles by hand to conform to original measurements, using forms, blocks, and steam.
What Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Need to Know
Successful pressers, textile, garment, and related materials rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- All-Around Presser
- Armhole Presser
- Automatic Presser
- Blocker
- Boarder
- Bobbin Presser
- Brim Presser
- Buffing Wheel Presser
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 439,453 pressers, textile, garment, and related materials working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +9.9% over the projection horizon.
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $58,112 |
| Hourly median | $27.94 |
| 10th percentile | $41,770 |
| 25th percentile | $49,941 |
| 75th percentile | $66,283 |
| 90th percentile | $74,454 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $38,260 |
| California | $38,160 |
| New Hampshire | $38,140 |
| Maine | $37,700 |
| Connecticut | $36,640 |
| Colorado | $36,540 |
| Minnesota | $35,730 |
| Delaware | $35,620 |
| Wisconsin | $35,250 |
| Arizona | $35,090 |
| New Jersey | $34,860 |
| Hawaii | $34,810 |
| New York | $34,690 |
| Idaho | $34,570 |
| Utah | $34,450 |
| Michigan | $34,420 |
| Oregon | $34,300 |
| Massachusetts | $34,080 |
| Illinois | $33,880 |
| Maryland | $32,560 |
| Nevada | $32,130 |
| Nebraska | $31,970 |
| Missouri | $31,760 |
| Tennessee | $31,520 |
| Iowa | $30,760 |
| Indiana | $30,680 |
| West Virginia | $30,620 |
| Kentucky | $30,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,180 |
| Kansas | $30,110 |
| North Carolina | $30,050 |
| Ohio | $29,720 |
| Alaska | $29,670 |
| Louisiana | $29,600 |
| Wyoming | $29,570 |
| Florida | $29,450 |
| Virginia | $28,790 |
| New Mexico | $28,730 |
| Arkansas | $28,670 |
| South Carolina | $28,330 |
| South Dakota | $28,200 |
| Texas | $27,460 |
| Alabama | $27,320 |
| Oklahoma | $27,320 |
| Georgia | $26,950 |
| Mississippi | $26,300 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,050 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $37,068 | 22.4% | 1.64 |
| New England | $35,923 | 6.8% | 2.56 |
| Rocky Mountains | $34,741 | 3.1% | 1.00 |
| Middle Atlantic | $33,856 | 15.5% | 1.16 |
| Great Lakes | $32,332 | 10.0% | 0.87 |
| Plains States | $32,132 | 3.7% | 0.64 |
| Southeast | $28,909 | 25.3% | 1.17 |
| Southwest | $28,397 | 12.4% | 1.01 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $44,250 | 120 |
| Chico, CA | CA | $41,170 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $40,750 | 580 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | WI | $39,160 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $38,730 | 1,980 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $38,300 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $38,280 | 370 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | CA | $38,250 | 50 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of pressers, textile, garment, and related materials work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 23,560 | $33,690 |
| Manufacturing | 1,780 | $35,790 |
| Retail Trade | 620 | $34,510 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 190 | $36,480 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 30 | $28,080 |
Below are examples of industries where pressers, textile, garment, and related materials work:
Software Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
Education and Training
Typical pressers, textile, garment, and related materials positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers (Supplemental)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Primary-Short)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Primary-Short)
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers (Primary-Long)
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders (Primary-Short)
- Sewers, Hand (Supplemental)
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers (Supplemental)
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-6021.00 (Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials).
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.