Sewing Machine Operators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for sewing machine operatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Alaska$46,300
- Nevada$44,590
- Washington$43,720
- Colorado$43,690
- New Hampshire$42,960
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$29,830
- Kentucky$30,690
- West Virginia$31,260
- Alabama$31,730
- Texas$32,430
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $46,300 | $43,850 | $22 | +23.1% | 40 |
| 2 | Nevada | $44,590 | $45,750 | $21 | +18.6% | 910 |
| 3 | Washington | $43,720 | $43,360 | $21 | +16.3% | 1,600 |
| 4 | Colorado | $43,690 | $43,840 | $21 | +16.2% | 970 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $42,960 | $41,740 | $21 | +14.3% | 190 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $42,860 | $39,230 | $21 | +14% | 280 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $42,850 | $42,910 | $21 | +14% | 1,540 |
| 8 | Maine | $42,450 | $43,520 | $20 | +12.9% | 700 |
| 9 | Oregon | $42,260 | $39,780 | $20 | +12.4% | 1,250 |
| 10 | New York | $41,930 | $38,480 | $20 | +11.5% | 6,130 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $41,490 | $38,930 | $20 | +10.3% | 1,890 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $41,430 | $40,370 | $20 | +10.2% | 2,370 |
| 13 | Arizona | $41,270 | $40,210 | $20 | +9.8% | 1,420 |
| 14 | California | $41,060 | $37,940 | $20 | +9.2% | 13,240 |
| 15 | Vermont | $40,930 | $40,850 | $20 | +8.9% | 220 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $40,840 | $38,670 | $20 | +8.6% | 270 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $40,140 | $37,780 | $19 | +6.8% | 480 |
| 18 | Indiana | $39,900 | $38,440 | $19 | +6.1% | 3,400 |
| 19 | Delaware | $39,170 | $37,690 | $19 | +4.2% | 60 |
| 20 | Maryland | $39,090 | $35,860 | $19 | +4% | 1,390 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $38,630 | $39,000 | $19 | +2.7% | 300 |
| 22 | Illinois | $38,600 | $36,220 | $19 | +2.7% | 4,060 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $38,150 | $35,700 | $18 | +1.5% | 110 |
| 24 | Idaho | $38,110 | $37,160 | $18 | +1.4% | 410 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $37,820 | $38,250 | $18 | +0.6% | 2,460 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $37,760 | $36,130 | $18 | +0.4% | 2,750 |
| 27 | Michigan | $37,700 | $37,490 | $18 | +0.3% | 3,210 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $37,440 | $37,060 | $18 | -0.4% | 300 |
| 29 | Utah | $37,150 | $35,550 | $18 | -1.2% | 1,020 |
| 30 | Montana | $36,970 | $36,740 | $18 | -1.7% | 190 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $36,780 | $37,600 | $18 | -2.2% | 2,270 |
| 32 | Iowa | $36,570 | $35,870 | $18 | -2.7% | 590 |
| 33 | Virginia | $36,550 | $35,790 | $18 | -2.8% | 2,010 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $36,440 | $36,510 | $18 | -3.1% | 110 |
| 35 | Ohio | $36,390 | $35,760 | $18 | -3.2% | 4,100 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $36,250 | $35,160 | $17 | -3.6% | 8,290 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $36,180 | $35,640 | $17 | -3.8% | 3,390 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $35,640 | $35,630 | $17 | -5.2% | 860 |
| 39 | Kansas | $35,380 | $35,360 | $17 | -5.9% | 650 |
| 40 | Missouri | $35,300 | $35,610 | $17 | -6.1% | 2,320 |
| 41 | Florida | $34,750 | $33,270 | $17 | -7.6% | 6,790 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $34,750 | $34,840 | $17 | -7.6% | 220 |
| 43 | Georgia | $34,510 | $34,790 | $17 | -8.2% | 3,420 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $33,760 | $34,220 | $16 | -10.2% | 3,300 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $33,220 | $33,340 | $16 | -11.6% | 580 |
| 46 | Texas | $32,430 | $31,000 | $16 | -13.7% | 6,950 |
| 47 | Alabama | $31,730 | $30,830 | $15 | -15.6% | 2,300 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $31,260 | $29,320 | $15 | -16.9% | 180 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $30,690 | $29,460 | $15 | -18.4% | 2,750 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $29,830 | $29,600 | $14 | -20.7% | 610 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 323 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bend, OR | $50,830 | $47,980 | 50 |
| 2 | Glens Falls, NY | $50,000 | $45,430 | 40 |
| 3 | Appleton, WI | $48,460 | $51,830 | 110 |
| 4 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $48,200 | $48,470 | 50 |
| 5 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $48,190 | $45,580 | 460 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $47,220 | $44,320 | 50 |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,220 | $47,860 | 220 |
| 8 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $46,540 | $44,600 | 1,860 |
| 9 | Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $46,450 | $46,360 | 70 |
| 10 | Bangor, ME | $46,060 | $42,600 | 70 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing sewing machine operatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sector 51 - Information | $111,520 | $97,730 | 50 |
| 2 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $51,750 | $53,140 | 90 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $51,750 | $53,140 | 90 |
| 4 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $50,130 | $51,580 | 140 |
| 5 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $50,130 | $51,580 | 140 |
| 6 | Casino Hotels | $47,240 | $44,400 | 100 |
| 7 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | $47,210 | $46,540 | — |
| 8 | Performing Arts Companies | $46,990 | $50,620 | 80 |
| 9 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | $46,100 | $45,430 | 40 |
| 10 | Ship and Boat Building | $45,870 | $45,700 | 370 |
| 11 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | $45,160 | $45,250 | 80 |
| 12 | Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $45,100 | $47,790 | 110 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do sewing machine operators make in the U.S.?
The median sewing machine operators salary in the United States is $36,670 per year (mean $37,600), and about 80% earn between $27,860 and $47,840.
How much do sewing machine operators make per hour?
Roughly $18 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $37,600 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays sewing machine operators the most?
Alaska has the highest average pay for sewing machine operators at $46,300 per year (median $43,850).
What is the job outlook for sewing machine operators?
Employment is projected to change -10.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 13,000 openings per year.