National » Production » Sewing Machine Operators

Sewing Machine Operator Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of sewing machine operators are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of sewing machine operators within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The sewing machine operators annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Sewing Machine Operator Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$22,880
25th Percentile Wage
$28,320
50th Percentile Wage
$31,740
75th Percentile Wage
$37,020
90th Percentile Wage
$43,500

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for sewing machine operators. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) sewing machine operators is $43,500. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $31,740. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $22,880. Take note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 90% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of sewing machine operators from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$31,740
6.46% 32.99%
2021
$29,690
4.92% -
2020
$28,230
6.41% -
2019
$26,420
5.26% -
2018
$25,030
2.84% -
2017
$24,320
2.67% -
2016
$23,670
4.73% -
2015
$22,550
2.79% -
2014
$21,920
1.96% -
2013
$21,490
1.02% -
2012
$21,270
- -

Table 2. Sewing Machine Operator Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of sewing machine operators in 15 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for sewing machine operators occupations is the federal, state, and local government sector with an annual salary $43,830. The lowest paying sector is the health care and social assistance sector (annual salary $25,100).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Federal, State, and Local Government
$43,830
Educational Services
$40,370
Accommodation and Food Services
$40,240
Construction
$37,470
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$36,600
Transportation and Warehousing
$35,220
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$34,260
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$34,210
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$33,190
Wholesale Trade
$32,260
Retail Trade
$31,980
Manufacturing
$31,880
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
$30,090
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$29,070
Health Care and Social Assistance
$25,100

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Sewing Machine Operators by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only sewing machine operators salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of sewing machine operators in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $18,450 to $44,100. The highest paying state for sewing machine operators is District of Columbia with a median annual salary of $44,100. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $18,450. For more salary information of sewing machine operators profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
District of Columbia
$44,100
Alaska
$41,750
Washington
$37,400
Connecticut
$37,170
Colorado
$36,840
New Hampshire
$36,390
North Dakota
$36,330
Rhode Island
$36,200
Massachusetts
$35,740
Minnesota
$35,730
Wisconsin
$35,440
Delaware
$35,430
Mississippi
$35,420
Indiana
$35,420
South Dakota
$35,360
Nevada
$35,350
Hawaii
$35,120
Maine
$35,120
New York
$34,850
Oregon
$34,790
New Jersey
$34,750
California
$34,530
Vermont
$34,480
Michigan
$33,510
Arizona
$32,220
Pennsylvania
$31,760
Montana
$31,730
Utah
$31,450
Illinois
$31,240
Iowa
$30,900
Nebraska
$30,690
North Carolina
$30,540
Maryland
$30,530
Ohio
$30,490
South Carolina
$29,880
Kansas
$29,550
Arkansas
$29,350
Virginia
$29,210
Georgia
$29,070
Oklahoma
$29,040
Florida
$29,010
Missouri
$28,890
Idaho
$28,770
Wyoming
$28,660
New Mexico
$28,560
Texas
$28,140
Tennessee
$28,010
Kentucky
$27,570
West Virginia
$27,510
Alabama
$26,910
Louisiana
$24,330
Puerto Rico
$18,450