Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary: $42,537 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 8,960 textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally earn a mean of $42,537. Employment in the series shown fell about 22% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 8.2% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-6062.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 8,960 workers.
What does a textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $37,940 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $42,537 — 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 | $36,720 |
| 25th percentile | $37,448 |
| Median (50th) | $39,274 |
| 75th percentile | $47,072 |
| 90th percentile | $49,749 |
What education do you need?
For Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Coordination, Equipment Maintenance, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mathematics, Mechanical, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 8.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -34.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -57.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 8,960.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 8,960 | 20.2% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 8,960 | 20.2% |
| Manufacturing | 7,420 | 16.8% |
| Textile Product Mills | 2,560 | 5.8% |
| Apparel Manufacturing | 1,460 | 3.3% |
| Other Textile Product Mills | 1,460 | 3.3% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 67,500 | $39,790 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 141,090 | $37,700 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 174,430 | $45,590 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 140,040 | $38,960 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 47,540 | $45,700 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
8,960 Workforce in 2023
The Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$42,537 Average Wage
In 2023, Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earned an average of $42,537.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
-8.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,222 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -34.6%
1,452 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -57.3%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 2.9% growth (Current: $48,098)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, 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:
- GA: 1,380 employees, $38,020 avg wage
- NC: 980 employees, $40,930 avg wage
- CA: 880 employees, $41,460 avg wage
- TX: 740 employees, $29,560 avg wage
- SC: 440 employees, $41,650 avg wage
- MS: 410 employees, $36,860 avg wage
- FL: 390 employees, $37,880 avg wage
- TN: 370 employees, $37,570 avg wage
- NY: 290 employees, $49,560 avg wage
- NJ: 260 employees, $40,380 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 720 employees, $41,650 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 580 employees, $39,890 avg wage
- Dalton, GA: 490 employees, $36,970 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 370 employees, $46,630 avg wage
- Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: 360 employees, $47,800 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 210 employees, $39,540 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 210 employees, $31,890 avg wage
- Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC: 200 employees, $46,790 avg wage
- Greensboro-High Point, NC: 190 employees, $37,980 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 180 employees, $38,220 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 was 8,960 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, 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 Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Skills
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Coordination.
Required skills for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mathematics, Mechanical, English Language, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Information Ordering, Finger Dexterity, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Controlling Machines and Processes, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
About
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
The average yearly wage for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $42,537 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-6062 - Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders reports an average salary of $42,537.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 8,960 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -8.2%, 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.