SOC 516031

Sewing Machine Operators

Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.

National Median

$36,000

per year

National Salary Overview

Median Annual

$36,000

Entry Level (10th pct)

$26,860

Experienced (90th pct)

$47,060

Total Employed

109,590

Salary Distribution

Salary percentiles show the range from entry-level (10th) to top earners (90th)

Salary by Experience Level

Experience Level	Estimated Salary Range
Entry Level0-2 years experience	$26,860 - $31,200
Mid Career2-8 years experience	$31,200 - $40,810
Senior / Expert8+ years experience	$40,810 - $47,060

Highest Paying Locations for Sewing Machine Operators

Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area

$49,980

+38.8% vs national

Appleton, WI

$48,880

+35.8% vs national

Glens Falls, NY

$48,380

+34.4% vs national

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

$46,990

+30.5% vs national

Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area

$46,450

+29.0% vs national

Sewing Machine Operators Salary by Location

Compare salaries across 50 metropolitan areas

Metropolitan Area	Median Salary	Employed
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area	$49,980	30
Appleton, WI	$48,880	150
Glens Falls, NY	$48,380	50
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$46,990	40
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area	$46,450	N/A
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC	$46,360	1,980
Kingston, NY	$46,170	30
Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area	$45,970	190
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$45,910	270
Champaign-Urbana, IL	$45,410	120
Iowa City, IA	$45,410	40
Ann Arbor, MI	$43,660	90
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$43,460	970
Vallejo, CA	$43,180	30
Portland-South Portland, ME	$43,080	250
Alaska	$42,800	40
Jackson, MI	$42,660	N/A
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI	$42,410	N/A
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$42,090	120
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$42,040	120
Green Bay, WI	$41,730	160
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$41,530	1,120
Washington	$41,530	1,770
New Hampshire	$41,410	290
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$41,410	500
Bend, OR	$41,400	50
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area	$41,380	50
Reno, NV	$41,350	700
Rochester, MN	$41,340	30
Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area	$41,320	2,130
Rhode Island	$41,290	480
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area	$40,980	70
Lewiston-Auburn, ME	$40,910	220
Burlington-South Burlington, VT	$40,900	90
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area	$40,830	70
Fargo, ND-MN	$40,730	80
Elkhart-Goshen, IN	$40,720	490
Nevada	$40,550	1,400
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$40,520	1,530
Minnesota	$40,510	2,370
Massachusetts	$40,370	2,090
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$40,370	1,180
Maine	$40,170	760
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area	$40,150	150
Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area	$40,130	680
Madison, WI	$40,110	200
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$40,100	1,090
Manchester-Nashua, NH	$40,060	60
Binghamton, NY	$40,060	170
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$40,050	650

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average salary for a Sewing Machine Operators?

The national median annual salary for Sewing Machine Operators is $36,000, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This means half of workers in this occupation earn more, and half earn less.

Where do Sewing Machine Operatorss earn the most?

The highest-paying metro area for Sewing Machine Operatorss is Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area, with a median salary of $49,980.

How much can an experienced Sewing Machine Operators make?

Top-earning Sewing Machine Operatorss (90th percentile) make $47,060 or more annually. This typically reflects workers with significant experience, specialized skills, or positions in high-paying regions.