Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
142,860 1.8 % $11.10 $23,080 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.13 $8.78 $10.15 $12.75 $15.88
Annual Wage (2) $16,900 $18,250 $21,120 $26,520 $33,030


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 52,050 41.86 $10.29 $21,400
Other Textile Product Mills 19,670 30.69 $11.18 $23,260
Textile Furnishings Mills 9,580 17.32 $11.74 $24,410
Household and Institutional Furniture and Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturing 6,980 3.17 $13.56 $28,200
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing 5,110 1.67 $10.83 $22,530

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 52,050 41.86 $10.29 $21,400
Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing 4,110 36.92 $10.44 $21,710
Other Textile Product Mills 19,670 30.69 $11.18 $23,260
Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing 3,060 26.76 $10.25 $21,320
Apparel Knitting Mills 3,350 19.94 $10.59 $22,040

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 130 0.01 $17.98 $37,410
Department Stores 40 (7) $16.16 $33,620
Local Government (OES Designation) 70 (7) $15.51 $32,270
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (8) (8) $15.13 $31,470
Traveler Accommodation 110 0.01 $14.48 $30,110


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 31,870 2.27 2.04 $10.21 $21,240
New York 12,130 1.44 1.29 $12.53 $26,060
North Carolina 9,650 2.53 2.27 $11.34 $23,580
Texas 7,400 0.72 0.64 $9.89 $20,570
Pennsylvania 5,630 1.01 0.91 $11.66 $24,260




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 3,430 3.19 2.87 $11.94 $24,840
North Carolina 9,650 2.53 2.27 $11.34 $23,580
California 31,870 2.27 2.04 $10.21 $21,240
Alabama 3,680 2.03 1.83 $9.89 $20,580
Kentucky 3,410 1.97 1.77 $10.58 $22,000




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska (8) (8) (8) $16.12 $33,530
Connecticut 620 0.39 0.35 $14.05 $29,230
Nevada 530 0.47 0.43 $13.93 $28,980
Rhode Island 290 0.65 0.58 $13.38 $27,830
North Dakota 240 0.65 0.58 $13.27 $27,600





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-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 22,240 5.82 5.22 $9.95 $20,700
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 10,620 2.10 1.88 $12.24 $25,450
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 3,710 2.68 2.40 $9.92 $20,630
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 3,020 0.84 0.76 $12.72 $26,450
Greensboro-High Point, NC 2,310 6.75 6.06 $11.48 $23,880
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 1,960 14.11 12.67 $14.69 $30,560
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,930 0.87 0.78 $11.50 $23,920
St. Louis, MO-IL 1,850 1.46 1.31 $10.18 $21,180
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1,700 8.60 7.72 $9.18 $19,080
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,670 0.82 0.73 $10.51 $21,860




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)
New Bedford, MA 980 15.71 14.11 $9.19 $19,120
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 1,960 14.11 12.67 $14.69 $30,560
Dalton, GA 830 13.02 11.69 $11.98 $24,910
Cleveland, TN 330 9.09 8.16 $10.27 $21,350
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 1,700 8.60 7.72 $9.18 $19,080
Greensboro-High Point, NC 2,310 6.75 6.06 $11.48 $23,880
Burlington, NC 330 5.93 5.33 $10.14 $21,100
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 22,240 5.82 5.22 $9.95 $20,700
Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, MA-NH NECTA Division 210 3.57 3.20 (8) (8)
Fort Wayne, IN 670 3.39 3.04 $10.92 $22,720




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)
Janesville, WI 120 2.00 1.80 $21.29 $44,280
Appleton, WI 110 0.93 0.83 $16.92 $35,190
Anchorage, AK (8) (8) (8) $16.30 $33,910
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 320 1.24 1.11 $16.26 $33,820
Fairbanks, AK (8) (8) (8) $15.98 $33,240
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 240 0.59 0.53 $15.50 $32,230
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 60 0.70 0.63 $15.32 $31,860
Norwich-New London, CT-RI 40 0.33 0.30 $15.20 $31,620
Sheboygan, WI 80 1.48 1.32 $14.81 $30,800
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 1,960 14.11 12.67 $14.69 $30,560

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 2,460 11.83 10.62 $12.52 $26,040
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 1,330 8.07 7.24 $10.47 $21,780
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 1,060 7.80 7.01 $10.23 $21,270
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,020 3.49 3.13 $9.15 $19,040
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 970 8.61 7.73 $10.24 $21,300

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 2,460 11.83 10.62 $12.52 $26,040
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 970 8.61 7.73 $10.24 $21,300
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 510 8.23 7.39 $9.47 $19,690
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 1,330 8.07 7.24 $10.47 $21,780
Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 1,060 7.80 7.01 $10.23 $21,270

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)
Eastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 150 0.96 0.87 $15.84 $32,940
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $15.12 $31,460
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 190 1.70 1.53 $14.71 $30,610
Other New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 190 1.95 1.75 $13.98 $29,080
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 90 2.65 2.38 $13.80 $28,700


About May 2011 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 mean 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012