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Sewing Machine Operators

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$36,000	11900	-13.2%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$36,000

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

11900

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

-13.2%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

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

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma

Related Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Detailed Work Activities

Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Load materials into production equipment.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Compare physical characteristics of materials or products to specifications or standards.
Maneuver workpieces in equipment during production.
Operate sewing equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
Inspect garments for defects, damage, or stains.
Select production input materials.
Operate sewing equipment.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Trim excess material from workpieces.
Adjust fabrics or other materials during garment production.
Clean production equipment.
Maintain production or processing equipment.
Replace worn equipment components.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Operate sewing equipment.
Repair textiles or apparel.
Cut fabrics.
Remove accessories, tools, or other parts from equipment.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Position patterns on equipment, materials, or workpieces.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Attach decorative or functional accessories to products.
Operate sewing equipment.
Attach decorative or functional accessories to products.
Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
Repair textiles or apparel.
Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

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.
Turn knobs, screws, and dials to adjust settings of machines, according to garment styles and equipment performance.
Attach tape, trim, appliques, or elastic to specified garments or garment parts, according to item specifications.
Repair or alter items by adding replacement parts or missing stitches.
Perform equipment maintenance tasks such as replacing needles, sanding rough areas of needles, or cleaning and oiling sewing machines.
Mount attachments, such as needles, cutting blades, or pattern plates, and adjust machine guides according to specifications.
Cut materials according to specifications, using blades, scissors, or electric knives.
Inspect garments, and examine repair tags and markings on garments to locate defects or damage, and mark errors as necessary.
Attach buttons, hooks, zippers, fasteners, or other accessories to fabric, using feeding hoppers or clamp holders.
Position material or articles in clamps, templates, or hoop frames prior to automatic operation of machines.
Draw markings or pin appliques on fabric to obtain variations in design.
Tape or twist together thread or cord to repair breaks.
Baste edges of material to align and temporarily secure parts for final assembly.
Position and mark patterns on materials to prepare for sewing.
Perform specialized or automatic sewing machine functions, such as buttonhole making or tacking.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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