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Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders: Career Overview
Operate or tend machines to bleach, shrink, wash, dye, or finish textiles or synthetic or glass fibers.
What Do Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders Perform?
Typical responsibilities of textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders include:
- Weigh ingredients, such as dye, to be mixed together for use in textile processing.
- Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods.
- Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly.
- Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions.
- Monitor factors such as temperatures and dye flow rates to ensure that they are within specified ranges.
- Add dyes, water, detergents, or chemicals to tanks to dilute or strengthen solutions, according to established formulas and solution test results.
- Examine and feel products to identify defects and variations from coloring and other processing standards.
- Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Ager
- Ager Operator
- Ager Tender
- Aging Box Hand
- Ammonia Box Operator
- Ammonia Box Tender
- Ash Kier Boiler
- Autoclave Operator
How Many Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders Are There?
The U.S. employs around 465,120 textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.4% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $59,739 |
| Hourly median | $28.72 |
| 10th percentile | $35,857 |
| 25th percentile | $47,798 |
| 75th percentile | $71,680 |
| 90th percentile | $83,621 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $49,350 |
| Kansas | $48,400 |
| Rhode Island | $45,910 |
| Mississippi | $42,300 |
| Michigan | $41,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,620 |
| South Carolina | $40,820 |
| Georgia | $39,930 |
| Ohio | $39,020 |
| New Jersey | $39,000 |
| New Hampshire | $37,770 |
| California | $37,330 |
| Tennessee | $36,260 |
| Texas | $34,430 |
| North Carolina | $33,980 |
| Alabama | $31,830 |
| Florida | $26,530 |
| Wisconsin | $26,280 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $48,400 | 1.2% | 1.13 |
| New England | $46,196 | 7.8% | 5.23 |
| Great Lakes | $40,926 | 1.8% | 0.28 |
| Far Western US | $37,330 | 20.7% | 1.49 |
| Southeast | $37,051 | 59.1% | 5.02 |
| Middle Atlantic | $24,422 | 9.4% | 0.68 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $49,570 | 120 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | RI | $46,870 | 240 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $46,560 | 120 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | SC | $46,010 | 190 |
| Dalton, GA | GA | $43,230 | 220 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $39,800 | 50 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | NC | $38,040 | 130 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $37,940 | 210 |
Industry Breakdown
Most textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,690 | $37,330 |
Below are examples of industries where textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders work:
Tools and Technology
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders reflects the following characteristics:
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Spend Time Standing
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
Education and Training
Most textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Primary-Long)
- Sewing Machine Operators (Supplemental)
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Primary-Long)
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Primary-Long)
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers (Primary-Short)
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-6061.00 (Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders).
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