Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders Salary: $38,160 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 3,270 shoe machine operators and tenders work nationally, and $38,160 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 57% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 12.1% annual decline.
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about shoe machine operators and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a shoe machine operators and tenders?
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-6042.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 3,270 workers.
What does a shoe machine operators and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a shoe machine operators and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $38,160 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $50,591 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,789 |
| 25th percentile | $46,497 |
| Median (50th) | $47,441 |
| 75th percentile | $51,750 |
| 90th percentile | $59,712 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Education and Training, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is shoe machine operators and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 12.1% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -47.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -72.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 3,270.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do shoe machine operators and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 3,270 | 20.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 3,270 | 20.3% |
| Manufacturing | 3,230 | 20.0% |
| Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 3,190 | 19.8% |
| Footwear Manufacturing | 3,180 | 19.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
3,270 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders shrank from 1,260 in 2009 to 160 in 2025 (87.3%).
Historical employment for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$38,160 Median pay (BLS national)
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders earn $38,160 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
-12.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
83 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -47.5%
44 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -72.5%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
16.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 10.2% growth (Current: $50,591)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- ME: 580 employees, $43,120 avg wage
- TX: 510 employees, $25,450 avg wage
- MN: 320 employees, $40,300 avg wage
- WI: 90 employees, $39,740 avg wage
- CA: 60 employees, $49,310 avg wage
- NY: 60 employees, $43,370 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- El Paso, TX: 170 employees, $23,520 avg wage
- Lewiston-Auburn, ME: 90 employees, $41,460 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 70 employees, $46,330 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 50 employees, $48,980 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders is about 3,270 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
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 Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Skills
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Operation and Control.
Required skills for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Education and Training, English Language, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Near Vision, Manual Dexterity, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects.
Most important work activities for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders.
About
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders earn $38,160 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-6042 - Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders reports an average salary of $50,591.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,270 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -12.1%, 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.