Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
Also called: Boarder · Dry Cleaner Presser · Garment Presser · Ironing Machine Operator · Ironing Worker · Pants Presser
Median pay (national)
$33,880
$24,960–$41,410 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
26,830
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-13.5%
~2,800 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $41,410 versus $24,960 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $33,880 leaves roughly 22% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -13.5% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 2,800 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 47 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $38,260, +13% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $21,050 — a 82% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
Tailor your resume to Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Operate steam, hydraulic, or other pressing machines to remove wrinkles from garments and flatwork items, or to shape, form, or patch articles.
- Select appropriate pressing machines, based on garment properties such as heat tolerance.
- Hang, fold, package, and tag finished articles for delivery to customers.
- Lower irons, rams, or pressing heads of machines into position over material to be pressed.
- Finish pants, jackets, shirts, skirts and other dry-cleaned and laundered articles, using hand irons.
- Moisten materials to soften and smooth them.
- Activate and adjust machine controls to regulate temperature and pressure of rollers, ironing shoes, or plates, according to specifications.
- Straighten, smooth, or shape materials to prepare them for pressing.
- Slide material back and forth over heated, metal, ball-shaped forms to smooth and press portions of garments that cannot be satisfactorily pressed with flat pressers or hand irons.
- Spray water over fabric to soften fibers when not using steam irons.
Tools & technology
- Email software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Sales and Marketing
- Mathematics