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Skilled Trades

Sewing Machine Operators

Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.

Median salary (BLS)

$36,670

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$28k – $48k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Sewing Machine Operators" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Sewing Machine Operators

    Entry / Junior

    $27,860

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Sewing Machine Operators

    Established

    $36,670

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Sewing Machine Operators

    Senior

    $42,255

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.