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Sewing Machine Operators in Washington

Considering working as a Sewing Machine Operators in Washington? Here’s what the data says. Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.

What do Sewing Machine Operators Make in Washington?

For sewing machine operators working in Washington, wages run about $41,530 per year (or roughly $19.97/hour).Earnings range from $36,720 at the 10th percentile to $49,420 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$36,720	$17.65
25th percentile	$37,900	$18.22
Median (50th)	$41,530	$19.97
75th percentile	$45,640	$21.94
90th percentile	$49,420	$23.76

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Washington relative to the national average — is 0.70, indicating fewer sewing machine operators per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, sewing machine operators earn a median of $31,213 per year ($15.01/hour), exceeding the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 425,426 sewing machine operators nationwide. In Washington alone, approximately 1,770 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 1,340 sewing machine operators.

Top Washington Metros for Sewing Machine Operators

The largest metro-area employers of sewing machine operators in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	1,120	$41,530
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	210	$37,180
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	80	$37,900
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	50	$39,800
Bellingham, WA	40	$38,160

Top States for Sewing Machine Operators Employment

These states have the highest employment of sewing machine operators work.

State	Number Employed
California	14,780
North Carolina	8,580
Puerto Rico	6,570
Texas	6,310
Florida	6,190
New York	5,640
Pennsylvania	4,510
Ohio	4,130
Illinois	4,120
Georgia	3,810
Michigan	3,550
Indiana	3,410
Kentucky	3,270
New Jersey	3,050
Tennessee	2,960
Alabama	2,650
Mississippi	2,620
Missouri	2,530
Wisconsin	2,440
Minnesota	2,370

Highest-Paying States for Sewing Machine Operators

These states pay the most for sewing machine operators.

State	Annual Median Salary
Alaska	$42,800
Washington	$41,530
New Hampshire	$41,410
Rhode Island	$41,290
Nevada	$40,550
Minnesota	$40,510
Massachusetts	$40,370
Maine	$40,170
Vermont	$39,870
Arizona	$39,240

Skills

Key sewing machine operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for sewing machine operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• 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.
• Select supplies such as fasteners and thread, according to job requirements.
• Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using rulers.
• Start and operate or tend machines, such as single or double needle serging and flat-bed felling machines, to automatically join, reinforce, or decorate material or articles.
• Record quantities of materials processed.

Work Activities

• Handling and Moving Objects
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Getting Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Training and Teaching Others
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Related occupations to sewing machine operators include:

• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Print Binding and Finishing Workers
• Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
• Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
• Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers

Also Known As

Appliquer, Apron Operator, Armhole Sewer, Automat Watcher, Automatic Hemmer, Automatic Seamer, Automatic Serging Machine Operator, Automatic Shirring Machine Operator, Automatic Trimming Sewer, Back Facer, Bag Maker, Bag Mender, Band Maker, Bander, Bar Tacker Sewing Machine.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-6031.00