How to hire a custom tailor

How to hire a custom tailor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step custom tailor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a custom tailor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new custom tailor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your custom tailor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a custom tailor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A custom tailor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, custom tailors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of custom tailor salaries for various roles:

   Type of Custom Tailor	Description	Hourly rate
   Custom Tailor		$10-24
   Tailor Fitter	Tailor Fitters are highly responsible for constructing, amending, altering, repairing, and changing the garments of clients based on choice and preferences. They ask for the customer's measurement like body size and determine if additional requirements are essential.	$10-25
   Alterations Tailor	An alterations tailor specializes in altering clothing for adjustments and repairs. Their responsibilities include communicating with clients to determine their needs, recording client measurements and alteration requests, analyzing the quality of fabric to identify the most convenient process, and sewing clothing materials by machine or hand... Show more	$10-24

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Coats

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform HVAC system change-outs in residential occupancies.
   • Perform HVAC system change-outs in residential occupancies.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your custom tailor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A custom tailor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, custom tailors' average salary in louisiana is 57% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level custom tailors earn 57% less than senior-level custom tailors.
   • Certifications. A custom tailor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a custom tailor's salary.

   Average custom tailor salary

   $16.41hourly

   $34,132 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level custom tailor salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average custom tailor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	South Dakota	$41,199	$20
   2	Ohio	$40,424	$19
   3	Wisconsin	$36,767	$18
   4	Colorado	$36,210	$17
   5	California	$36,112	$17
   6	Minnesota	$35,924	$17
   7	Virginia	$35,464	$17
   8	Oregon	$35,117	$17
   9	South Carolina	$35,115	$17
   10	Missouri	$34,838	$17
   11	Illinois	$34,392	$17
   12	New Jersey	$34,285	$16
   13	Indiana	$34,003	$16
   14	Arizona	$32,329	$16
   15	Pennsylvania	$32,325	$16
   16	Maryland	$32,193	$15
   17	Utah	$32,061	$15
   18	New York	$31,924	$15
   19	Florida	$31,913	$15
   20	Georgia	$30,457	$15

   Average custom tailor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kering Americas Inc	$33,679	$16.19	1
   2	Hermes Landscaping	$33,435	$16.07	4
   3	Tailored Brands	$24,749	$11.90	174

4. Writing a custom tailor job description

   A job description for a custom tailor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a custom tailor job description:

   Custom tailor job description example

   RETAIL STORE TAILOR-ALTERATIONS
   
   FINE TAILORED CAREERS
   
   Every day is a day to make somebody smile at Jos. A. Bank, a division of Tailored Brands. We help people love how they look by providing a convenient, one-of-a-kind shopping experience tailored personally to each customer's lifestyle. If you want to make a difference, be part of a great team and grow, this position might be a perfect fit.
   
   RETAIL STORE TAILOR-ALTERATIONS
   
   Provide positive input and valuable assistance throughout the entire customer experience to ensure that each guest is satisfied and receives a final product that is customized to look attractive, fit well, and feel just right.
   
   HOW YOU'LL CONTRIBUTE
   
   You'll have the opportunity to assist in the selling process by greeting, interacting with, and responding to customers regarding any special requests they may have. In addition, you'll use your extensive knowledge of alterations and passion for providing excellent service to expertly mark, alter, and press the garments our customers select.
   
   * Ensure the proper fit of garments
   * Answer customer questions
   * Mark garments for tailoring
   * Press garments
   * Maintain an open dialogue with management
   * Help other team members
   * Help to keep the tailor shop clean and organized
   * Make sure that customers are properly sized
   * Offer new wardrobe ensemble suggestions
   
   WHAT IT TAKES
   
   The highly motivated, customer-friendly retail store tailor-alterations we seek should have these qualifications:
   
   * Formal training for tailoring preferred
   * Experience as a tailor for menswear highly preferred
   * Good technical skill
   * Sound knowledge of various types of sewing equipment
   * Strong communication skills
   * Team attitude and enthusiasm
   * Proficiency in all basic and advanced alterations of men's tailored clothing
   
   WHY WORK WITH US
   
   We use our personalities to uncover our customers' personalities.
   
   At the core of Tailored Brands is a fun, family-like atmosphere that makes this an extraordinary place to work. Our engaging workplace is based on teamwork, growth, and respect, with a culture built on these guiding principles: Live the Golden Rule, practice teamwork, have respect for each other, be trustworthy, and keep an open mind and heart.
   
   COMPENSATION & BENEFITS TO SUIT YOUR LIFESTYLE
   
   Jos. A. Bank everything you need to complement your ideal lifestyle. You'll enjoy the competitive pay (hourly pay rate) you would expect of an industry leader, as well as a broad range of benefits to support your total well-being, from health to wealth. See the complete list on our career site.
   
   ABOUT TAILORED BRANDS
   
   The success of Tailored Brands is powered by a team of 20,000 passionate employees at locations throughout the US, Canada, and the UK. Our popular brands include Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, Moores Clothing for Men, and K&G Fashion Superstore.
   
   APPLY NOW AND TRY US ON
   
   Does Jos. A. Bank feel right for you? Try on our careers, and find the one that perfectly matches your talents, interests, and experience.
   
   careers.tailoredbrands.com
   
   Our company celebrates diversity and provides equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, religion, veteran or military status, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, or any other protected status under the law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find custom tailors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any custom tailors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level custom tailors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your custom tailor job on Zippia to find and recruit custom tailor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit custom tailors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new custom tailor

   Once you've decided on a perfect custom tailor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new custom tailor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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