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Wearing apparel presser

Also called ironer, ironing lady, ironing person

Wearing apparel pressers use steam irons, vacuum pressers, or hand pressers to shape wearing apparel.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects15 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Cleaners and helpersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €800 (Bulgaria) to €3,800 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Cleaners and helpersWhat do I need to study?Basic schooling5 in 10 have basic schooling only. 7 in 10 train through vocational routes.Cleaners and helpersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Hand launderers and pressers · ILO

What you'd do

Hand launderers and pressers · ILO
  • Laundering and pressing linen, clothing, fabrics and similar articles by hand in a laundry or other establishment
  • Cleaning, by hand and with chemical solutions, clothing, fabrics, leather goods and similar articles, in a dry-cleaning or other establishment
  • Replacing buttons and making minor repairs
  • Placing articles on shelves and hanging articles for delivery and collection
Iron textilesPerform process control in the wearing apparel industryAlter wearing apparelManufacture wearing apparel productsCoordinate manufacturing production activities+ 3 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Some contact with people
  • Little freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as cleaners and helpers in the EU
9.29m8.92m8.3m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,998,000 replacing leavers 640,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Cleaners and helpers15
All jobs29
Right now
5 of 27 countries report a shortage of hand launderers and pressers, 6 a surplus.
Hand launderers and pressers · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €800 a month (Bulgaria) to €3,800 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among elementary occupations in the EU, women earn 9% less per hour than men. Elementary occupations · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Basic schooling

Most people start with basic schooling and learn on the job.

Highest qualification of cleaners and helpers (EU, 2025)
Degree 7%Vocational 32%General secondary 11%Basic schooling 49%
Field that teaches it
Textiles (clothes, footwear and leather)
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.14 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 4 tasks
Placing articles on shelves and hanging articles for delivery and collection0.17
Laundering and pressing linen, clothing, fabrics and similar articles by hand in a laundry or other establishment0.15
Replacing buttons and making minor repairs0.14
Cleaning, by hand and with chemical solutions, clothing, fabrics, leather goods and similar articles, in a dry-cleaning or other establishment0.11

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for hand launderers and pressers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).