| Sewing Machine Operators | |||||||||||
| Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Sewing Machine Operators | |||||||||||
| Employment | Employment Change | Average Annual Job Openings | Wage & Training Levels | ||||||||
| 2020 | 2025 | Numerical | Percent | New Jobs | Replacement Jobs | Total | Median Hourly | Median Annual | Training Levels | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 477 | 487 | 10 | 2.09% | 2 | 65 | 67 | $13.23 | $27,527 | No formal educational credential | ||
| Description: | Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products. | ||||||||||
| Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023) | |||||||||||
Occupation Details
The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.
- 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.
- Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match.
- Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
- 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.
- Inspect garments, and examine repair tags and markings on garments to locate defects or damage, and mark errors as necessary.
- Select supplies such as fasteners and thread, according to job requirements.
- Mount attachments, such as needles, cutting blades, or pattern plates, and adjust machine guides according to specifications.
- Cut excess material or thread from finished products.
- Fold or stretch edges or lengths of items while sewing, in order to facilitate forming specified sections.
- Perform equipment maintenance tasks such as replacing needles, sanding rough areas of needles, or cleaning and oiling sewing machines.
- Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using rulers.
- 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.
Knowledge
| % | - |
| 53% | Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| 50% | Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| 50% | Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| 66% | Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. |
| 62% | Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. |
| 62% | Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
| 60% | Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene. |
| 56% | Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness. |
| 56% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| 56% | Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. |
| 56% | Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| 53% | Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. |
| 53% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| 50% | Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged. |
| 50% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| 69% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| 59% | Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| 56% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| 52% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| 50% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Title | Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed |
| Overall Experience | 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. |
| Job Training | 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. |
| Job Zone Examples | These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include taxi drivers, amusement and recreation attendants, counter and rental clerks, construction laborers, continuous mining machine operators, and waiters/waitresses. |
| Education | Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. |
Interests
| Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outsi |
| Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow. |
| Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
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