Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
ManufacturingO*NET 51-6063.00United States
Set up, operate, or tend machines that knit, loop, weave, or draw in textiles.
- Median annual earnings
- $39,500
- Projected change
- −12.4%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 13.63K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
100% of the workforce
Growing to 11.93K by 2035
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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 textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Observe woven cloth to detect weaving defects.
- Thread yarn, thread, and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting, or other processing.
- Remove defects in cloth by cutting and pulling out filling.
- Inspect products to ensure that specifications are met and to determine if machines need adjustment.
- Examine looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks, or mechanical defects.
- Notify supervisors or repair staff of mechanical malfunctions.
- Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
- Stop machines when specified amounts of product have been produced.
- Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed.
- Confer with co-workers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems.
- Operate machines for test runs to verify adjustments and to obtain product samples.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $29,908
- 25th percentile
- $36,347
- 50th percentile
- $39,500
- 75th percentile
- $45,196
- 90th percentile
- $49,231
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $39,500 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−12.4%projected to decline
202513,626 jobs
2035 projected11,932 jobs
1,694 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
- 100%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- 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.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Weavers38 postings
- 02Cutting Machine Operators8 postings
- 03Knitters5 postings
- 04Operators5 postings
- 05Fixers2 postings
- 06Manufacturing Technicians2 postings
- 07Owners/Operators2 postings
- 08Mechanical Operators1 postings
- 09Textiles Operators1 postings
Top employers
- 01Adecco4 postings
- 02Fabric Development3 postings
- 03Mohawk Industries3 postings
- 04Pathway Group3 postings
- 05Solmax Geosynthetics3 postings
- 06Bedford Weaving2 postings
- 07Graham Personnel Services2 postings
- 08Jb Martin2 postings
- 09Mermet Corp.2 postings
- 10P&A Industrial Fabrications2 postings
- 11Workforce Unlimited2 postings
- 12Aah Acquisition1 postings
- 13Able Associates1 postings
- 14Aerotek1 postings
- 15Allegiance Staffing1 postings
- 16Composites Unlimited1 postings
- 17Contempora Fabrics1 postings
- 18Culp1 postings
- 19First Staffing1 postings
- 20Fringe Market Place LTD1 postings
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