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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

51-6031 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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
136,450 2.2 % $12.98 $26,990 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.16 $10.56 $12.03 $14.71 $18.21
Annual Wage (2) $19,040 $21,970 $25,030 $30,590 $37,880


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing 42,120 45.41 $12.20 $25,370
Other Textile Product Mills 20,070 31.49 $13.15 $27,360
Textile Furnishings Mills 10,280 19.85 $13.01 $27,050
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) 7,910 2.22 $15.30 $31,820
Printing and Related Support Activities 5,100 1.17 $13.11 $27,270

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing 42,120 45.41 $12.20 $25,370
Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing 4,280 39.62 $12.38 $25,760
Other Textile Product Mills 20,070 31.49 $13.15 $27,360
Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing 2,160 19.90 $12.53 $26,060
Textile Furnishings Mills 10,280 19.85 $13.01 $27,050

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Merchandise Stores (8) (8) $21.17 $44,030
Automobile Dealers (8) (8) $20.72 $43,100
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 120 0.01 $19.97 $41,540
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 40 (7) $19.57 $40,700
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 50 (7) $18.54 $38,560


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 25,330 1.49 1.58 $12.82 $26,670
New York 10,410 1.11 1.18 $14.43 $30,020
Texas 10,410 0.86 0.91 $11.47 $23,850
North Carolina 8,930 2.04 2.16 $13.46 $27,990
Georgia 5,990 1.36 1.45 $11.90 $24,760




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mississippi 4,140 3.68 3.90 $13.42 $27,910
North Carolina 8,930 2.04 2.16 $13.46 $27,990
Kentucky 3,120 1.65 1.75 $11.31 $23,530
California 25,330 1.49 1.58 $12.82 $26,670
Alabama 2,840 1.46 1.55 $11.52 $23,960




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 40 0.13 0.13 $18.40 $38,270
District of Columbia 30 0.04 0.05 $17.23 $35,830
Connecticut 790 0.47 0.50 $16.89 $35,120
Washington 2,530 0.78 0.82 $16.02 $33,320
New Hampshire 380 0.58 0.62 $15.24 $31,700





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 20,000 3.27 3.47 $12.51 $26,030
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 11,650 1.23 1.30 $13.78 $28,660
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,050 1.14 1.20 $12.32 $25,630
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 3,530 0.76 0.81 $13.97 $29,070
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,830 1.05 1.12 $12.61 $26,230
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,730 1.05 1.12 $12.49 $25,970
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 2,340 15.20 16.12 $17.03 $35,420
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,940 0.98 1.04 $15.94 $33,160
Greensboro-High Point, NC 1,800 4.99 5.29 $12.93 $26,890
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,750 0.61 0.65 $13.27 $27,600




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 2,340 15.20 16.12 $17.03 $35,420
Dalton, GA 710 11.06 11.73 $12.41 $25,820
New Bedford, MA 600 9.12 9.67 $16.29 $33,880
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 350 8.56 9.08 $12.48 $25,960
El Paso, TX 1,730 5.68 6.03 $9.18 $19,100
Elkhart-Goshen, IN 710 5.16 5.47 $15.01 $31,230
Greensboro-High Point, NC 1,800 4.99 5.29 $12.93 $26,890
Burlington, NC 270 4.39 4.65 $12.57 $26,140
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 20,000 3.27 3.47 $12.51 $26,030
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 130 2.68 2.84 $14.32 $29,780




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Appleton, WI 120 0.96 1.01 $19.66 $40,900
Waterbury, CT (8) (8) (8) $19.65 $40,880
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA (8) (8) (8) $19.37 $40,290
New Haven, CT 130 0.45 0.48 $19.32 $40,190
Olympia-Tumwater, WA (8) (8) (8) $17.71 $36,830
Panama City, FL (8) (8) (8) $17.64 $36,700
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 170 0.74 0.78 $17.08 $35,520
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 2,340 15.20 16.12 $17.03 $35,420
Muskegon, MI 50 0.78 0.83 $16.89 $35,130
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 180 0.43 0.45 $16.78 $34,900

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 3,240 13.88 14.73 $13.83 $28,760
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 890 3.45 3.66 $10.93 $22,730
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 810 5.58 5.92 $11.85 $24,640
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 800 4.68 4.97 $9.48 $19,710
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 630 5.74 6.08 $11.24 $23,370

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 3,240 13.88 14.73 $13.83 $28,760
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 570 8.81 9.34 $11.82 $24,590
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 630 5.74 6.08 $11.24 $23,370
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 810 5.58 5.92 $11.85 $24,640
East Georgia nonmetropolitan area 470 5.56 5.90 $8.68 $18,050

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 70 0.53 0.57 $17.27 $35,910
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 130 1.33 1.41 $16.45 $34,210
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area 30 0.48 0.51 $16.21 $33,720
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 40 0.45 0.47 $15.97 $33,210
Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 30 0.78 0.83 $15.82 $32,910


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019