Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-6031

Sewing Machine Operators

Median pay sits 51% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Plant Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Sewing Machine Operators: Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Sewing Machine Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-6031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions
  2. 2. Cut materials according to specifications, using blades, scissors, or electric knives
  3. 3. Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components
  4. 4. Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides
  5. 5. Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together
  6. 6. Remove holding devices and finished items from machines
  7. 7. Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match
  8. 8. Fold or stretch edges or lengths of items while sewing to facilitate forming specified sections
  9. 9. Cut excess material or thread from finished products
  10. 10. Select supplies such as fasteners and thread, according to job requirements
  11. 11. Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using rulers
  12. 12. Start and operate or tend machines, such as single or double needle serging and flat-bed felling machines, to automatically join, reinfor…

Sewing Machine Operators: O*NET ranks Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-6031 - lead skill Monitoring at 3.1 ; lead knowledge English Language. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Monitoring 3.1
  2. 2. Active Listening 2.8
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 2.8
  4. 4. Complex Problem Solving 2.8
  5. 5. Operations Monitoring 2.8
  6. 6. Quality Control Analysis 2.8
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 2.8
  8. 8. Time Management 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 2.7
  2. 2. Production and Processing 2.5
  3. 3. Mathematics 2.3
  4. 4. Education and Training 2.2
  5. 5. Customer and Personal Service 2.2
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 2.1
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-51%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $36,670/yr
$37K
National median
↓ -11%
Growth 2024-2034
13,000
Annual openings
104,880
Estimated US jobs
Power Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Sewing Machine Operators

1. Massachusetts $42,910
2. Colorado $43,840
3. Alaska $43,850
4. Nevada $45,750
5. Vermont $40,850
6. New Hampshire $41,740
7. Wisconsin $40,370
8. Maine $43,520
9. Washington $43,360
10. Arizona $40,210

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  2. 2. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  3. 3. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  4. 4. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  5. 5. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  6. 6. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Sewing Machine Operators sits 51% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $36,670.

Employment Projections expect -11% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 13,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Massachusetts at $42,910. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Plant Operators at $102,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Sewing Machine Operators pay-rank #101 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Sewing Machine Operators lands at #101, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Sewing Machine Operators pays 51% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Sewing Machine Operators salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-6031

Massachusetts · top state for Sewing Machine Operators

$43K published median

Colorado · #2 state pay

$44K · behind Massachusetts

Power Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Sewing Machine Operators · $102K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

Lower-pay peer beside Sewing Machine Operators · $63K

Compare Sewing Machine Operators

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Sewing Machine Operators with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Sewing Machine Operators

Against another occupation

Power Plant Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Sewing Machine Operators land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Sewing Machine Operators is pay-rank #101 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Sewers, Hand ($36K), Bakers ($37K), Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other ($37K), Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders ($36K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do sewing machine operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Sewing Machine Operators. Leading ones include: Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions; Cut materials according to specifications, using blades, scissors, or electric knives; Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components; Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for sewing machine operators? ▼
For SOC 51-6031, O*NET importance scores lead with Monitoring (3.1), Active Listening (2.8), Critical Thinking (2.8), Complex Problem Solving (2.8). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Production and Processing, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Sewing Machine Operators? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $36,670 as the national median for Sewing Machine Operators. The published 10th-90th range is $27,860 to $47,840. Beside Power Plant Operators ($102,040), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Sewing Machine Operators? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Sewing Machine Operators is -11%. Projected annual openings: about 13,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Sewing Machine Operators? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Sewing Machine Operators. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Sewing Machine Operators? ▼
Massachusetts ($42,910), Colorado ($43,840), Alaska ($43,850) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Sewing Machine Operators card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-6031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Sewing Machine Operators. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics