Production
Sewing machine operator
Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.
Median pay
$36,670
Growth to 2035
−15%
declining
Openings a year
9,800
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Sewing machine operator
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Sewing machine operator: 25% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.
- Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
- Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides.
- Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
- Remove holding devices and finished items from machines.
- Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match.
- Fold or stretch edges or lengths of items while sewing to facilitate forming specified sections.
- Cut excess material or thread from finished products.
Also called: Line Closer · Machine Operator · Prototype Sewer · Sample Maker · Seamer · Seamstress · Sew On Operator · Sewer
Outlook and AI
Sewing machine operators held 117,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 99,500 by 2035 (−15%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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- Sewing machine operator vs. Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders
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