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.
- O*NET-SOC code
51-6031.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$36,670
Employment, U.S.104,880
Median hourly wage$17.63
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $27,860 | $31,960 | $36,670 | $42,830 | $47,840 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2,300 | $30,830 | 1.61 |
| Alaska | 40 | $43,850 | 0.19 |
| Arizona | 1,420 | $40,210 | 0.65 |
| Arkansas | 860 | $35,630 | 0.98 |
| California | 13,240 | $37,940 | 1.08 |
| Colorado | 970 | $43,840 | 0.50 |
| Connecticut | 480 | $37,780 | 0.42 |
| Delaware | 60 | $37,690 | 0.19 |
| Florida | 6,790 | $33,270 | 1.01 |
| Georgia | 3,420 | $34,790 | 1.04 |
| Hawaii | 280 | $39,230 | 0.66 |
| Idaho | 410 | $37,160 | 0.71 |
| Illinois | 4,060 | $36,220 | 0.99 |
| Indiana | 3,400 | $38,440 | 1.58 |
| Iowa | 590 | $35,870 | 0.56 |
| Kansas | 650 | $35,360 | 0.67 |
| Kentucky | 2,750 | $29,460 | 2.04 |
| Louisiana | 610 | $29,600 | 0.47 |
| Maine | 700 | $43,520 | 1.63 |
| Maryland | 1,390 | $35,860 | 0.75 |
| Massachusetts | 1,540 | $42,910 | 0.63 |
| Michigan | 3,210 | $37,490 | 1.08 |
| Minnesota | 1,890 | $38,930 | 0.95 |
| Mississippi | 2,270 | $37,600 | 2.89 |
| Missouri | 2,320 | $35,610 | 1.17 |
| Montana | 190 | $36,740 | 0.54 |
| Nebraska | 300 | $37,060 | 0.44 |
| Nevada | 910 | $45,750 | 0.87 |
| New Hampshire | 190 | $41,740 | 0.41 |
| New Jersey | 2,750 | $36,130 | 0.95 |
| New Mexico | 220 | $34,840 | 0.37 |
| New York | 6,130 | $38,480 | 0.94 |
| North Carolina | 8,290 | $35,160 | 2.49 |
| North Dakota | 110 | $35,700 | 0.37 |
| Ohio | 4,100 | $35,760 | 1.10 |
| Oklahoma | 580 | $33,340 | 0.50 |
| Oregon | 1,250 | $39,780 | 0.94 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,390 | $35,640 | 0.83 |
| Rhode Island | 270 | $38,670 | 0.80 |
| South Carolina | 2,460 | $38,250 | 1.58 |
| South Dakota | 300 | $39,000 | 0.96 |
| Tennessee | 3,300 | $34,220 | 1.49 |
| Texas | 6,950 | $31,000 | 0.73 |
| Utah | 1,020 | $35,550 | 0.87 |
| Vermont | 220 | $40,850 | 1.09 |
| Virginia | 2,010 | $35,790 | 0.72 |
| Washington | 1,600 | $43,360 | 0.67 |
| West Virginia | 180 | $29,320 | 0.38 |
| Wisconsin | 2,370 | $40,370 | 1.19 |
| Wyoming | 110 | $36,510 | 0.59 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | 1-2 | 0.955 |
| 2 | Pourers and Casters, Metal | 1-2 | 0.954 |
| 3 | Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 1-2 | 0.951 |
| 4 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | 1-2 | 0.948 |
| 5 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 1-2 | 0.947 |
| 6 | Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | 1-2 | 0.947 |
| 7 | Upholsterers | 1-2 | 0.946 |
| 8 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | 1-2 | 0.944 |
| 9 | Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders | 1-2 | 0.942 |
| 10 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 1-2 | 0.942 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Sewing Machine Operators, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.951 |
| Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.947 |
| Machine Feeders and Offbearers | Operations Monitoring | 1.26 | 0.935 |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | Coordination | 1.13 | 0.929 |
| Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers | Critical Thinking | 0.76 | 0.927 |
| Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.921 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | Active Listening | 0.88 | 0.915 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Sewing Machine Operators, excluding software Sewing Machine Operators already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Computerized numerical control CNC software | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Inventory control software | 3 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 5 of 20 | 1.3x |
| Microsoft Windows | 5 of 20 | 1.0x |
| Adobe Acrobat | 3 of 20 | 0.8x |
| SAP software | 5 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 8 of 20 | 0.6x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 2.50 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 1.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 1.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 2.72 | 2.42 |
| Production and Processing | 2.53 | 1.72 |
| Mathematics | 2.28 | 1.84 |
| Education and Training | 2.22 | 1.75 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.16 | 1.39 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.12 | 1.55 |
| Mechanical | 2.06 | 1.35 |
| Administration and Management | 1.99 | 1.19 |
| Transportation | 1.70 | 0.84 |
| Computers and Electronics | 1.61 | 1.32 |
| Design | 1.54 | 0.79 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.52 | not rated |
| Administrative | 1.48 | not rated |
| Psychology | 1.46 | 0.87 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.43 | 0.87 |
| Law and Government | 1.40 | not rated |
| Communications and Media | 1.35 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.33 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.26 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.25 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.23 | not rated |
| Telecommunications | 1.23 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.21 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.20 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.20 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.18 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.17 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.14 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.14 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.10 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.10 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.10 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.07 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Control Precision | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Near Vision | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Rate Control | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 2.62 |
| Reaction Time | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visualization | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Oral Expression | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Selective Attention | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Oral Comprehension | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Depth Perception | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Written Comprehension | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Speech Recognition | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 2.50 | 1.75 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Response Orientation | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Static Strength | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Stamina | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Time Sharing | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Written Expression | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Memorization | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Originality | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.12 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.12 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Email software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayaguez, PR | 2,370 | 67.30 | $21,840 |
| Arecibo, PR | 1,010 | 43.14 | $22,550 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 1,860 | 17.88 | $46,540 |
| Dalton, GA | 440 | 10.05 | $34,180 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1,460 | 5.93 | $32,470 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 470 | 5.44 | $40,130 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 560 | 4.99 | $38,530 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 160 | 4.98 | $44,670 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | 140 | 4.74 | $31,890 |
| Dothan, AL | 190 | 4.74 | $30,320 |