Sewing Machine Operator
Quick Facts
Median Salary$37,511
Most Common EducationHigh school or GED
Projected 10-Year Growth-5.89%
Assessment MatchTake the Assessment
What They Do
A Sewing Machine Operator operates a sewing machine in a factory or facility that produces clothing or other products made with fabric.
Core Tasks:
- Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.
- Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides.
- Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
- Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
- Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match.
- Select supplies such as fasteners and thread, according to job requirements.
- Cut excess material or thread from finished products.
- Fold or stretch edges or lengths of items while sewing to facilitate forming specified sections.
- Remove holding devices and finished items from machines.
- 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.
- Repair or alter items by adding replacement parts or missing stitches.
- Attach tape, trim, appliques, or elastic to specified garments or garment parts, according to item specifications.
- 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.
What to expect as a Sewing Machine Operator
1Earn a High school or GED Diploma
25% of people achieve this level of education.
2Gain skills and experience
See Sewing Machine Operator related courses on Tallo
3Land a job
360 openings for Sewing Machine Operators
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
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