Sewing machine operator
Also known as: custom sewer, serger machine operator, edging machine operator, hook and eye machine operator, stitching machinist, sewing machine tender
About this occupation
Sewing machine operators tend specific sewing machines in the industrial production chain of wearing apparel. They perform operations such as joining, assembling, reinforcing, repairing, and altering of wearing apparel.
Essential skills and knowledge
- embroider fabrics
- operate garment manufacturing machines
- manufacturing of wearing apparel
- buttonholing
- properties of fabrics
- manufacturing of made-up textile articles
- distinguish accessories
- sew pieces of fabric
- distinguish fabrics
- manufacture wearing apparel products
- sew textile-based articles
- alter wearing apparel
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Sewing Machine Operators (O*NET 51-6031.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- 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.
- Typical education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Artistic
Top skills: Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis
US median pay: US$36,670 a year (2025), 104,880 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
- Sewers, Hand
- Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.