Stitcher vs hand sewer

The differences between stitchers and hand sewers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a stitcher and a hand sewer. Additionally, a hand sewer has an average salary of $48,353, which is higher than the $35,863 average annual salary of a stitcher.

The top three skills for a stitcher include stitching, costume shop and industrial sewing machines. The most important skills for a hand sewer are stitching, , and .

Stitcher vs hand sewer overview

	Stitcher	Hand Sewer
Yearly salary	$35,863	$48,353
Hourly rate	$17.24	$23.25
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	191	4,300
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	High School Diploma, 39%
Average age	54	54
Years of experience	4	4

Stitcher vs hand sewer salary

Stitchers and hand sewers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Stitcher	Hand Sewer
Average salary	$35,863	$48,353
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $57,000	Between $23,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between stitcher and hand sewer education

There are a few differences between a stitcher and a hand sewer in terms of educational background:

	Stitcher	Hand Sewer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	High School Diploma, 39%
Most common major	Theatre	Graphic Design
Most common college	-	-

Stitcher vs hand sewer demographics

Here are the differences between stitchers' and hand sewers' demographics:

	Stitcher	Hand Sewer
Average age	54	54
Gender ratio	Male, 23.7% Female, 76.3%	Male, 29.9% Female, 70.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.6% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 16.5% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between stitcher and hand sewer duties and responsibilities

Stitcher example responsibilities.

Manage costume crew and coordinate costumes during productions.
Perform hand collating of short-run projects, checking correct sequence of order, stapling, power stitching, or binding.
Stamp cloths and inspect parachutes.
Prepare furs and design natural fur coats.
Inspect finish product and do finishing touches.
Used serger, single, and double stitch industrial machines.

Hand sewer example responsibilities.

Manage costumes, apply makeup, and do quick changes.
Sew upholstery for cushions, back pillows, throw pillows, and ottomans.
Generate cushions for all types of sofas and chairs in a fast pace manner while maintaining good quality.
Handle specific assignments in case binding, gang stitch operation, hand stitching, perfect binders and other bindery operations.
Hand sewn and prep fabric for the shades department
Hand sew buttons, hooks and other fasteners onto fabric.

Stitcher vs hand sewer skills

Common stitcher skills

Stitching, 36%
Costume Shop, 18%
Industrial Sewing Machines, 14%
Costumes, 13%
RAN, 4%
Double Needle, 3%

Common hand sewer skills

Stitching, 100%

Stitcher vs. similar jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs