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Sewing Machine Operators

Human ServicesO*NET 51-6031.00United States

Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$35,211

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
−5.5%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

94.3% of the workforce

Employment
119.2K jobs

Growing to 112.69K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What sewing machine operators do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.
  • Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides.
  • Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
  • Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
  • Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match.
  • Select supplies such as fasteners and thread, according to job requirements.
  • Cut excess material or thread from finished products.
  • Fold or stretch edges or lengths of items while sewing to facilitate forming specified sections.
  • Remove holding devices and finished items from machines.
  • Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using rulers.
  • Start and operate or tend machines, such as single or double needle serging and flat-bed felling machines, to automatically join, reinforce, or decorate material or articles.
  • Record quantities of materials processed.
  • Turn knobs, screws, and dials to adjust settings of machines, according to garment styles and equipment performance.
  • Repair or alter items by adding replacement parts or missing stitches.
  • Attach tape, trim, appliques, or elastic to specified garments or garment parts, according to item specifications.
  • Perform equipment maintenance tasks such as replacing needles, sanding rough areas of needles, or cleaning and oiling sewing machines.
  • Mount attachments, such as needles, cutting blades, or pattern plates, and adjust machine guides according to specifications.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$25,349
25th percentile
$29,825
50th percentile
$35,211
75th percentile
$43,102
90th percentile
$53,255

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $35,211 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−5.5%projected to decline
2025119,200 jobs
2035 projected112,693 jobs

6,507 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
94.3%
Associate degree
5%
Certificate
0.7%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Machine Operation
  • Sewing
  • Textiles
  • Lifting Ability
  • Photo Stitching
  • Machinery
  • Warehousing
  • General Mathematics
  • Garment Construction
  • Workflow Management
  • Development Environment
  • Upholstery
  • Manual Dexterity
  • Tape Measure
  • Hand Tools
  • Quality Management
  • Safety Standards
  • Manufacturing Processes
  • Safety Procedures
  • Industrial Equipment

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Sewing Machine Operators783 postings
  2. 02Industrial Sewing Machine Operators361 postings
  3. 03Sewers235 postings
  4. 04Industrial Sewers103 postings
  5. 05Sewing Operators48 postings
  6. 06Stitchers31 postings
  7. 07Die Setters28 postings
  8. 08Sewing Specialists18 postings
  9. 09Mold Setters16 postings
  10. 10Sample Makers14 postings
  11. 11Operators11 postings
  12. 12Sewing Machine Mechanics11 postings
  13. 13Embroidery Machine Operators10 postings
  14. 14Setters10 postings
  15. 15Finishers9 postings
  16. 16Machine Shop Assistants9 postings
  17. 17Woodworkers9 postings
  18. 18Tape Operators6 postings
  19. 19Fabrication Technicians5 postings
  20. 20Sample Managers5 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Aerotek40 postings
  2. 02Express Employment Professionals33 postings
  3. 03Adecco21 postings
  4. 04Comfama19 postings
  5. 05ManpowerGroup15 postings
  6. 06Minutemen Staffing15 postings
  7. 07PrideStaff13 postings
  8. 08Staffmark13 postings
  9. 09Lakeland11 postings
  10. 10Lippert11 postings
  11. 11Lippert Components11 postings
  12. 12Mohawk Industries11 postings
  13. 13Chrome Hearts10 postings
  14. 14Lakeland Industries10 postings
  15. 15Ortho Dog10 postings
  16. 16Tempur Sealy International10 postings
  17. 17Arkansas Lighthouse For The Blind9 postings
  18. 18Envision Physician Services9 postings
  19. 19Herff Jones9 postings
  20. 20Istaffing Agency9 postings

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