Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-6062) earn a median $38,760 a year ($18.64 an hour) in the United States, with 9,000 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders cut fabrics and similar materials into the pieces used to make textile products. Equipment ranges from manual and electric knives and cutters to computer numerically controlled cutting devices. For many jobs, the worker places a pattern on top of layers of fabric and cuts along it. Controls for heating elements, tension, and speed are adjusted to suit the product, and the machine is watched during the run. Cut pieces are inspected to confirm that quality standards and specifications are met, and the operator records the work completed along with the machine settings. Mechanical problems are reported to supervisors. The operator also inspects the machinery to see whether repairs are needed and confers with coworkers about orders, processes, or problems.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Automated Cutting Machine Operator, Automatic Die Cutting Machine Operator, Automatic Folding Machine Operator, Automatic Label Cutting Machine Operator, Band Cutter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.78 | $16.46 | $18.64 | $21.74 | $23.76 | $19.01 | 9,000 |
| Annual | $28,650 | $34,230 | $38,760 | $45,220 | $49,420 | $39,530 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $17.36 | $18.07 | $22.67 | $22.97 | $27.27 | $21.46 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $36,120 | $37,580 | $47,160 | $47,770 | $56,710 | $44,630 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.90 | $20.57 | $22.50 | $27.31 | $34.72 | $24.77 | 170 | 0.02 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $37,220 | $42,780 | $46,810 | $56,810 | $72,210 | $51,510 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $20.82 | $22.08 | $22.08 | $24.81 | $27.48 | $23.10 | 80 | 0.12 | 2.13 |
| Annual | $43,300 | $45,930 | $45,930 | $51,600 | $57,160 | $48,050 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $21.83 | $22.00 | $22.00 | $26.62 | $26.62 | $23.44 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $45,410 | $45,760 | $45,760 | $55,370 | $55,370 | $48,760 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $19.67 | $19.82 | $21.82 | $23.21 | $27.88 | $22.41 | 140 | 0.04 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $40,910 | $41,220 | $45,380 | $48,280 | $57,980 | $46,600 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $13.07 | $16.46 | $19.15 | $21.74 | $22.04 | $18.83 | 1,560 | 0.32 | 5.53 |
| Annual | $27,180 | $34,230 | $39,840 | $45,220 | $45,850 | $39,170 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $14.50 | $17.39 | $20.90 | $23.29 | $26.58 | $20.44 | 840 | 0.17 | 2.93 |
| Annual | $30,160 | $36,180 | $43,460 | $48,450 | $55,290 | $42,510 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.63 | $17.87 | $18.69 | $22.09 | $23.75 | $19.96 | 750 | 0.04 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $36,670 | $37,160 | $38,870 | $45,950 | $49,400 | $41,510 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.04 | $13.15 | $14.50 | $17.50 | $20.65 | $15.47 | 680 | 0.05 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $22,950 | $27,360 | $30,160 | $36,390 | $42,950 | $32,170 | ||||
| South Carolina | Hourly | $13.94 | $17.35 | $20.07 | $23.75 | $24.58 | $20.27 | 480 | 0.21 | 3.60 |
| Annual | $29,000 | $36,080 | $41,740 | $49,390 | $51,120 | $42,160 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | Hourly | $17.78 | $19.47 | $23.75 | $24.58 | $27.35 | $22.59 | 230 | 0.54 | 9.25 |
| Annual | $36,980 | $40,500 | $49,390 | $51,120 | $56,880 | $46,980 | ||||
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | Hourly | $17.75 | $21.28 | $23.39 | $26.58 | $28.53 | $23.53 | 270 | 1.76 | 30.44 |
| Annual | $36,920 | $44,270 | $48,640 | $55,290 | $59,340 | $48,950 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $13.42 | $18.82 | $21.74 | $21.74 | $22.04 | $20.17 | 560 | 0.19 | 3.34 |
| Annual | $27,910 | $39,140 | $45,220 | $45,220 | $45,850 | $41,950 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.72 | $18.67 | $21.36 | $24.40 | $31.55 | $23.06 | 170 | 0.02 | 0.32 |
| Annual | $34,780 | $38,830 | $44,420 | $50,760 | $65,620 | $47,960 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.82 | $19.82 | $21.32 | $22.84 | $27.82 | $22.13 | 100 | 0.05 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $41,220 | $41,220 | $44,350 | $47,510 | $57,860 | $46,020 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dalton, GA | Hourly | $11.38 | $16.07 | $18.18 | $20.56 | $22.11 | $17.99 | 570 | 8.80 | 152.10 |
| Annual | $23,660 | $33,430 | $37,820 | $42,760 | $45,980 | $37,420 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $13.42 | $18.82 | $21.74 | $21.74 | $22.04 | $20.17 | 560 | 0.19 | 3.34 |
| Annual | $27,910 | $39,140 | $45,220 | $45,220 | $45,850 | $41,950 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.62 | $17.84 | $18.20 | $22.09 | $24.05 | $19.90 | 560 | 0.09 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $36,650 | $37,110 | $37,860 | $45,950 | $50,020 | $41,380 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $16.52 | $21.00 | $21.00 | $23.71 | $26.38 | $21.66 | 270 | 0.10 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $34,360 | $43,680 | $43,680 | $49,310 | $54,870 | $45,040 | ||||
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | Hourly | $17.75 | $21.28 | $23.39 | $26.58 | $28.53 | $23.53 | 270 | 1.76 | 30.44 |
| Annual | $36,920 | $44,270 | $48,640 | $55,290 | $59,340 | $48,950 | ||||
Top industries employing textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders
Other Textile Product Mills employ 17.7% of textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally (1,590 jobs) at a median $35,260 a year ($16.95 an hour), followed by Textile Furnishings Mills (14.1%) and Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (13.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Textile Product Mills NAICS 314900 | 1,590 | 17.7% | $35,260 | $16.95 |
| Textile Furnishings Mills NAICS 314100 | 1,270 | 14.1% | $39,840 | $19.15 |
| Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing NAICS 315200 | 1,180 | 13.1% | $37,280 | $17.92 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) NAICS 3370A1 | 940 | 10.4% | $41,600 | $20.00 |
| Fabric Mills NAICS 313200 | 690 | 7.7% | $40,500 | $19.47 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (9,000). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,960 for textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders in May 2021 and $38,760 in May 2025, with employment of 11,970 and 9,000.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,960 | $14.41 | 11,970 |
| May 2022 | $34,420 | $16.55 | 10,700 |
| May 2023 | $36,620 | $17.61 | 9,760 |
| May 2024 | $37,940 | $18.24 | 8,960 |
| May 2025 | $38,760 | $18.64 | 9,000 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
37 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut profile | $22.67 | $47,160 | $36,120 | $56,710 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.50 |
| 2 | New York profile | $22.50 | $46,810 | $37,220 | $72,210 | 170 | 0.02 | 0.31 |
| 3 | New Hampshire profile | $22.08 | $45,930 | $43,300 | $57,160 | 80 | 0.12 | 2.13 |
| 4 | Hawaii profile | $22.00 | $45,760 | $45,410 | $55,370 | ** | ** | ** |
| 5 | Washington profile | $21.82 | $45,380 | $40,910 | $57,980 | 140 | 0.04 | 0.68 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $21.00 | $43,680 | $33,610 | $55,250 | 380 | 0.10 | 1.80 |
| 7 | North Carolina profile | $20.90 | $43,460 | $30,160 | $55,290 | 840 | 0.17 | 2.93 |
| 8 | Indiana profile | $20.07 | $41,740 | $35,820 | $54,700 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| 9 | South Carolina profile | $20.07 | $41,740 | $29,000 | $51,120 | 480 | 0.21 | 3.60 |
| 10 | Ohio profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $34,210 | $45,630 | 370 | 0.07 | 1.14 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $19.94 | $41,480 | $32,090 | $51,730 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.58 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | $19.61 | $40,780 | $33,790 | $56,240 | 120 | 0.03 | 0.47 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | $19.23 | $40,000 | $35,770 | $51,580 | 30 | 0.06 | 1.11 |
| 14 | Georgia profile | $19.15 | $39,840 | $27,180 | $45,850 | 1,560 | 0.32 | 5.53 |
| 15 | Wisconsin profile | $19.05 | $39,630 | $23,270 | $51,060 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.77 |
| 16 | California profile | $18.69 | $38,870 | $36,670 | $49,400 | 750 | 0.04 | 0.71 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $18.56 | $38,600 | $35,150 | $44,530 | 230 | 0.04 | 0.64 |
| 18 | Oregon profile | $18.49 | $38,460 | $33,840 | $49,830 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.77 |
| 19 | Mississippi profile | $18.08 | $37,600 | $29,070 | $45,550 | 400 | 0.34 | 5.92 |
| 20 | Louisiana profile | $18.02 | $37,490 | $28,490 | $46,670 | ** | ** | ** |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $18.01 | $37,460 | $33,830 | $44,470 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.52 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | $17.92 | $37,280 | $33,260 | $50,760 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.37 |
| 23 | Oklahoma profile | $17.84 | $37,110 | $25,930 | $44,740 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.54 |
| 24 | Colorado profile | $17.73 | $36,870 | $31,920 | $54,200 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.19 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $17.65 | $36,710 | $20,600 | $45,870 | 320 | 0.10 | 1.67 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.64 | $36,690 | $29,640 | $46,410 | 230 | 0.04 | 0.65 |
| 27 | Kansas profile | $17.28 | $35,930 | $27,450 | $40,390 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.46 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $17.16 | $35,680 | $29,100 | $49,320 | 450 | 0.05 | 0.79 |
| 29 | Alabama profile | $16.83 | $35,000 | $28,430 | $43,820 | 160 | 0.08 | 1.34 |
| 30 | Maryland profile | $16.78 | $34,890 | $31,570 | $48,890 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.32 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | $16.55 | $34,410 | $26,670 | $48,850 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.22 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $14.92 | $31,040 | $23,330 | $39,310 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.40 |
| 33 | Missouri profile | $14.69 | $30,540 | $28,600 | $36,830 | 170 | 0.06 | 1.01 |
| 34 | Texas profile | $14.50 | $30,160 | $22,950 | $42,950 | 680 | 0.05 | 0.84 |
| 35 | Iowa profile | $14.45 | $30,060 | $26,620 | $55,580 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.73 |
| 36 | Arkansas profile | $14.01 | $29,140 | $24,780 | $40,970 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.49 |
| 37 | Nevada profile | $13.77 | $28,630 | $27,790 | $35,790 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.79 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-6060), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-6062 Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-6062, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-6062.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.