Sewing Machine Operators Salary
Production Occupations · 105K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$36,670
Median hourly
$18
Average annual
$37,600
Typical range
$27,860–$47,840
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Sewing Machine Operators is $36,670 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $18 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products..
Most earn between $27,860 and $47,840 a year. There are roughly 105K people employed as sewing machine operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Sewing Machine Operators.
- Hourly
- $17.63
- Daily
- $141
- Weekly
- $705
- Bi-weekly
- $1,410
- Monthly
- $3,056
- Annual
- $36,670
$36,670 a year is around the 50th percentile for Sewing Machine Operatorss. The median is $36,670.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Nevada$45,750
- 2Alaska$43,850
- 3Colorado$43,840
- 4Maine$43,520
- 5Washington$43,360
- 6Massachusetts$42,910
- 7New Hampshire$41,740
- 8Vermont$40,850
- 9Wisconsin$40,370
- 10Arizona$40,210
- 11Oregon$39,780
- 12Hawaii$39,230
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Bend, OR$50,830
- 2Glens Falls, NY$50,000
- 3Appleton, WI$48,460
- 4Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$48,190
- 5Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$47,220
- 6San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$47,220
- 7Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC$46,540
- 8Bangor, ME$46,060
- 9Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$45,210
- 10Portland-South Portland, ME$45,160
- 11San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$44,880
- 12Columbia, SC$44,810
Related job titles
Employers advertise Sewing Machine Operators roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders$35,650
- Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials$35,060
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$38,020
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,570
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$39,530
- Sewers, Hand$36,480
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$38,760
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,270
What a Sewing Machine Operators does
- Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using rulers.
- Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.
- Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
- Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match.
- Turn knobs, screws, and dials to adjust settings of machines, according to garment styles and equipment performance.
- Perform equipment maintenance tasks such as replacing needles, sanding rough areas of needles, or cleaning and oiling sewing machines.
- Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
- Remove holding devices and finished items from machines.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Sewing Machine Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Sewing Machine Operators is $36,670 ($18 per hour). Pay ranges from about $27,860 at the 10th percentile to $47,840 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Sewing Machine Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $37,600, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Sewing Machine Operatorss the most?
- Nevada has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $45,750.
- Is Sewing Machine Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 105K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Sewing Machine Operators do?
- Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using rulers.; Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.; Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components..