Is sewing machine operators a good career?
It scores 8/100 and ranks #783 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- No college degree typically required to enter
Possible tradeoffs
- Pays below the U.S. median wage ($36,670 vs $61,390)
- Employment is projected to decline (-10.8% through 2034)
What sewing machine operators earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. sewing machine operators earn between $31,960 and $42,830 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live sewing machine operators jobs
No live sewing machine operators openings yet
When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified sewing machine operators openings will appear here — each shown against the $36,670 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.
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- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Related occupations
How much do sewing machine operators make?
The national median wage is $36,670 a year, with the middle half earning between $31,960 and $42,830 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is sewing machine operators a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 8 of 100 and ranks #783 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change -10.8% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a sewing machine operator?
The typical entry-level education is no formal educational credential.
Where do sewing machine operators earn the most?
Among states, Nevada pays the highest median ($45,750). Local pay for every state and metro is below.