Sewing Machine Operators
Sewing Machine Operators is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Sewing Machine Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
14,780 Workforce in 2023
The Sewing Machine Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Sewing Machine Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$40,967 Average Wage
In 2023, Sewing Machine Operators earned an average of $40,967.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Sewing Machine Operators.
Salary distribution for Sewing Machine Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
-7.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
40,590 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -30.6%
28,164 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -51.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Sewing Machine Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Sewing Machine Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Sewing Machine Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Sewing Machine Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Sewing Machine Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Sewing Machine Operators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 14,380 employees, $40,939 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Sewing Machine Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 8,540 employees, $40,188 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,850 employees, $40,393 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 900 employees, $41,029 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 820 employees, $39,695 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 500 employees, $45,729 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 410 employees, $46,651 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 270 employees, $47,954 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 220 employees, $42,670 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 190 employees, $41,839 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 120 employees, $44,004 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Sewing Machine Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Sewing Machine Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Sewing Machine Operators in 2023 was 14,780 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Sewing Machine Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Sewing Machine Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Sewing Machine Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Sewing Machine Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Sewing Machine Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Sewing Machine Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Sewing Machine Operators.
Skills
Sewing Machine Operators need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Sewing Machine Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Sewing Machine Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Sewing Machine Operators include English Language, Production and Processing, Mathematics, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Sewing Machine Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Sewing Machine Operators include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Control Precision, Near Vision, Finger Dexterity.
Required abilities for Sewing Machine Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Sewing Machine Operators.
Daily Activities
Sewing Machine Operators spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Sewing Machine Operators.
About
Sewing Machine Operators
The average yearly wage for Sewing Machine Operators was $40,967 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-6031 - Sewing Machine Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Sewing Machine Operators reports an average salary of $40,967.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,780 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -7.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.