Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Production · SOC 51-6021 · O*NET 51-6021.00
Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials fall under the Production category in the U.S. occupational classification. Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials earn a median salary of $33,880 per year, ranking in the top 98% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -13.5% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do pressers, textile, garment, and related materials earn?
The median annual wage for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials is $33,880. That puts pressers, textile, garment, and related materials at #791 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $24,960 |
| 25th percentile | $29,060 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $33,880 |
| 75th percentile | $36,830 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $41,410 |
| Median hourly wage | $16.29/hr |
Is pressers, textile, garment, and related materials a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials is -13.5%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 28K positions in 2024 to 24K in 2034, a net change of -4K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do pressers, textile, garment, and related materials do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working pressers, textile, garment, and related materials, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Hang, fold, package, and tag finished articles for delivery to customers.
- 2.Shrink, stretch, or block articles by hand to conform to original measurements, using forms, blocks, and steam.
- 3.Push and pull irons over surfaces of articles to smooth or shape them.
- 4.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.
- 5.Spray water over fabric to soften fibers when not using steam irons.
- 6.Moisten materials to soften and smooth them.
- 7.Operate steam, hydraulic, or other pressing machines to remove wrinkles from garments and flatwork items, or to shape, form, or patch articles.
- 8.Finish pants, jackets, shirts, skirts and other dry-cleaned and laundered articles, using hand irons.
Top skills for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become pressers, textile, garment, and related material?
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about pressers, textile, garment, and related materials
What is the median salary for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials?
The median annual salary for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials is $33,880 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is pressers, textile, garment, and related materials a growing career?
BLS projects -13.5% growth for pressers, textile, garment, and related materials from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become pressers, textile, garment, and related material?
The typical entry path requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to pressers, textile, garment, and related materials?
Related occupations within the Production category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.