TL;DR

About 14,530 textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally earn a mean of $41,767. Projections imply about 8.6% annual decline; much hiring sits in manufacturing.

Key Statistics

14,530
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$41,767
Average Salary

Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: what the data shows

Common questions about textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders?

Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-6063.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 14,530 workers.

What does a textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities, Handling and Moving Objects, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders make?

BLS national median annual wage: $38,260 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $41,767 — 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 percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$34,873
25th percentile$35,858
Median (50th)$38,259
75th percentile$48,303
90th percentile$48,959

What education do you need?

For Textile Knitting and Weaving 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, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, English Language, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 8.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -36.3%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -59.4%.

Current U.S. headcount: 14,530.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenderss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry14,53020.2%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only14,53020.2%
Manufacturing13,88019.3%
Textile Mills8,82012.3%
Fabric Mills8,31011.6%
Textile Product Mills3,2004.5%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce.

Employment Over Time

14,530 Workforce in 2023

The Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$41,767 Average Wage

In 2023, Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earned an average of $41,767.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Salary distribution for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Employment Growth Projections

-8.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

1,312 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -36.3%

836 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -59.4%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Wage Trends by Industry

5.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Total, All Industry: 5.0% growth (Current: $41,767)

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Textile Knitting and Weaving 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: 3,810 employees, $39,090 avg wage
  • NC: 3,200 employees, $36,860 avg wage
  • SC: 1,830 employees, $41,440 avg wage
  • AL: 890 employees, $37,660 avg wage
  • CA: 670 employees, $40,710 avg wage
  • PA: 570 employees, $43,810 avg wage
  • VA: 410 employees, $38,670 avg wage
  • TN: 410 employees, $35,300 avg wage
  • NY: 320 employees, $48,540 avg wage
  • RI: 280 employees, $34,750 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Dalton, GA: 1,580 employees, $39,070 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 750 employees, $41,470 avg wage
  • Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC: 650 employees, $44,260 avg wage
  • Greensboro-High Point, NC: 580 employees, $35,100 avg wage
  • Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 570 employees, $41,350 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 520 employees, $39,640 avg wage
  • Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: 410 employees, $36,250 avg wage
  • Providence-Warwick, RI-MA: 320 employees, $35,670 avg wage
  • Burlington, NC: 310 employees, $33,780 avg wage
  • Spartanburg, SC: 290 employees, $40,780 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Diversity

Demographic information on Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 was 14,530 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Textile Knitting and Weaving 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 Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workers.

Education level distribution for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Skills

Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Active Listening, Critical Thinking.

Required skills for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Production and Processing, English Language, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training.

Knowledge areas required for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Finger Dexterity, Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Manual Dexterity.

Required abilities for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Daily Activities

Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities.

Most important work activities for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

About

Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

The average yearly wage for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $41,767 in 2023.

SOC Code

51-6063 - Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders reports an average salary of $41,767.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,530 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -8.6%, 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.