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Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
Production · SOC 51-6021
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$35,060
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
3,300
Proj. Annual Openings
26,120
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-6.1%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-6021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 44/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $35,060
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 3,300
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -13.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 3,409 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operation and ControlCritical ThinkingOperations MonitoringTime ManagementMonitoring
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure0.7%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
6%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI1%
AI ability · AIOE17.1%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne81%
Top Skills
1.Operation and Control
2.Critical Thinking
3.Operations Monitoring
4.Time Management
5.Monitoring
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Press or shape articles by hand or machine.
Common titles: Boarder, Dry Cleaner Presser, Garment Presser, Ironing Machine Operator, Ironing Worker, Pants Presser
Representative Tasks
- •Hang, fold, package, and tag finished articles for delivery to customers.
- •Operate steam, hydraulic, or other pressing machines to remove wrinkles from garments and flatwork items, or to shape, form, or patch articles.
- •Straighten, smooth, or shape materials to prepare them for pressing.
- •Remove finished pieces from pressing machines and hang or stack them for cooling, or forward them for additional processing.
- •Finish pleated garments, determining sizes of pleats from evidence of old pleats or from work orders, using machine presses or hand irons.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
- •Package products for storage or shipment.
- •Smooth garments with irons, presses, or steamers.
- •Adjust fabrics or other materials during garment production.
- •Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Word · hotEmail software
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
0.5%
Avg AI Exposure
1
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 51-6021: 2019 — employment: 38,070, median wage: $24,190; 2020 — employment: 31,980, median wage: $25,580; 2021 — employment: 26,910, median wage: $28,680; 2022 — employment: 28,570, median wage: $29,690; 2023 — employment: 28,700, median wage: $32,240; 2025 — employment: 26,120, median wage: $35,060.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $35,060 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |