How To Become A Seamstress: What It Is and Career Path

What is a seamstress and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Seamstresses, or seamsters because men might also work in the fashion industry, are experts in sewing. They mend and alter clothing and sometimes design and create garments from scratch. They might work for clothing factories or fashion designers, at the dry-cleaners, or have a little workshop and work independently for their own client base.

Working as a seamstress, people will come to you with ill-fitting skirts or torn jackets, unstitched zippers, or tight trousers. Some will bring material and big ideas for a pant-suit or new curtains. Apart from sewing and stitching, customer service will be a big part of your job. Listening to your clients and finding the best solution for their problems will keep them coming back to you.

You have to be familiar with the universe of fabrics and all kinds of stitching and sewing techniques. You will use sewing machines, irons, and pressing machines. Working fast will be an asset as well as paying attention to detail. Patience is also a big one, and your eyes have to be sharp, and your hands obedient and precise.

ScoreSeamstressUS Average

Salary

2.6

Avg. Salary $33,724

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.83%

Asian 9.97%

Black or African American 8.82%

Hispanic or Latino 8.33%

Unknown 4.47%

White 67.58%

Gender

female 94.24%

male 5.76%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress level

4.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a seamstress

Explore seamstress education requirements

Most common seamstress degrees

Bachelor's

34.0 %

High School Diploma

28.8 %

Associate

22.7 %

Start to develop specific seamstress skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	66.67%
Punctuality	17.81%
Industrial Sewing Machines	2.57%
Stitching	2.23%
Embroidery	1.34%

Complete relevant seamstress training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New seamstresses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a seamstress based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real seamstress resumes.

Research seamstress duties and responsibilities

Place spools of thread on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
Sew cushions and upholstery for furniture
Deconstruct and reinforce clothing, repair t-shirts, hats, etc.
Place spools of thread on spindles, ensure machine is threaded properly.

Prepare your seamstress resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your seamstress resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a seamstress resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable seamstress resume templates

Build a professional seamstress resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your seamstress resume.