SOC 51-6021.00

    Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials

    Press or shape articles by hand or machine.

    Median pay
    $35,060
    Growth
    -15.7%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    2,200
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $27,180
    Median
    $35,060
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $43,050
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    26,120 people work in this occupation.

    What pressers, textile, garment, and related materials do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Press or shape articles by hand or machine.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    90 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    8 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    22 / 100
    Social (S)
    2 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    0 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    42 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCA. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Controlling Machines and Processes
    73
    Handling and Moving Objects
    70
    Performing General Physical Activities
    70
    Getting Information
    64
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    59
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    58
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    56
    Scheduling Work and Activities
    51
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    50
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    46
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Critical Thinking
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Time Management
    • Monitoring
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Troubleshooting
    • Active Learning
    • Judgment and Decision Making

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Production and Processing
    • English Language
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Education and Training
    • Administration and Management
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Mathematics
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Transportation

    Abilities

    • Manual Dexterity
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Control Precision
    • Near Vision
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Reaction Time
    • Trunk Strength
    • Extent Flexibility
    • Rate Control

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Control
    • Self-Confidence
    • Sincerity

    Also called

    All-Around Presser · Armhole Presser · Automatic Presser · Blocker · Boarder · Bobbin Presser · Brim Presser · Buffing Wheel Presser · Bulk Folder · Calender Machine Operator

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What pressers, textile, garment, and related materials may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.