Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-6063) earn a median $39,530 a year ($19.01 an hour) in the United States, with 13,030 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New York.
What textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders run looms and knitting machines that turn yarn into fabric. Operators thread yarn through the guides, needles, and rollers, and they start the machines and make adjustments as needed. While the machine runs, they watch the fabric for defects, such as broken or missing threads, and they remove flaws by cutting and pulling out filling. When a loom stops, they trace the cause, which might be warp or filling problems, a broken harness, or a mechanical defect, and either fix it or notify repair staff. Finished goods are inspected against specifications to see whether the machine needs adjustment. Machines are stopped when the specified amount of product has been made. Sewing machine operators, who assemble cut fabric, are excluded and classified separately.
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 Weaver, Automatic Full-Fashioned Hosiery Knitting Machine Operator, Automatic Pad-Making Machine Operator, Belt Weaver, Blanket Weaver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $14.40 | $17.50 | $19.01 | $21.74 | $23.62 | $19.58 | 13,030 |
| Annual | $29,960 | $36,390 | $39,530 | $45,220 | $49,130 | $40,720 | ||
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 knitting and weaving 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 | ||||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.84 | $20.94 | $23.83 | $23.83 | $28.73 | $23.20 | 230 | 0.02 | 0.28 |
| Annual | $37,100 | $43,560 | $49,570 | $49,570 | $59,760 | $48,250 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $19.97 | $19.97 | $23.29 | $25.56 | $26.95 | $23.18 | 70 | 0.10 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $41,530 | $41,530 | $48,440 | $53,160 | $56,050 | $48,220 | ||||
| Maine | Hourly | $19.35 | $21.83 | $23.25 | $23.49 | $23.49 | $22.75 | 160 | 0.24 | 2.91 |
| Annual | $40,250 | $45,400 | $48,350 | $48,860 | $48,860 | $47,310 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $19.61 | $23.18 | $23.18 | $23.18 | $24.40 | $23.46 | 110 | 0.03 | 0.37 |
| Annual | $40,780 | $48,220 | $48,220 | $48,220 | $50,740 | $48,790 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $18.22 | $18.46 | $22.32 | $25.74 | $30.20 | $22.90 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.21 |
| Annual | $37,900 | $38,410 | $46,430 | $53,530 | $62,820 | $47,640 | ||||
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 | $15.53 | $18.69 | $19.68 | $21.58 | $22.77 | $19.98 | 3,550 | 0.73 | 8.67 |
| Annual | $32,300 | $38,870 | $40,930 | $44,890 | $47,350 | $41,560 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $13.77 | $14.42 | $17.64 | $19.91 | $23.01 | $17.91 | 2,730 | 0.55 | 6.60 |
| Annual | $28,650 | $29,990 | $36,700 | $41,420 | $47,870 | $37,240 | ||||
| South Carolina | Hourly | $16.94 | $18.16 | $19.12 | $21.57 | $23.33 | $19.85 | 1,500 | 0.65 | 7.78 |
| Annual | $35,230 | $37,760 | $39,760 | $44,870 | $48,530 | $41,290 | ||||
| Alabama | Hourly | $13.85 | $15.41 | $17.95 | $22.45 | $23.84 | $18.77 | 770 | 0.37 | 4.35 |
| Annual | $28,810 | $32,050 | $37,340 | $46,700 | $49,590 | $39,040 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.35 | $18.25 | $21.41 | $21.98 | $26.43 | $21.13 | 590 | 0.03 | 0.39 |
| Annual | $36,090 | $37,950 | $44,530 | $45,720 | $54,970 | $43,950 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $18.96 | $22.26 | $23.06 | $26.95 | $29.38 | $23.93 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $39,430 | $46,300 | $47,960 | $56,050 | $61,110 | $49,780 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.38 | $17.60 | $22.94 | $22.94 | $27.58 | $21.82 | 50 | 0.01 | 0.13 |
| Annual | $36,150 | $36,610 | $47,710 | $47,710 | $57,370 | $45,380 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $17.16 | $21.65 | $21.92 | $26.76 | $28.30 | $23.19 | 130 | 0.05 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $35,690 | $45,040 | $45,580 | $55,660 | $58,870 | $48,240 | ||||
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | Hourly | $14.73 | $17.89 | $21.58 | $21.58 | $22.43 | $19.73 | 220 | 0.82 | 9.79 |
| Annual | $30,630 | $37,210 | $44,880 | $44,880 | $46,650 | $41,030 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $18.87 | $21.53 | $21.54 | $21.58 | $22.00 | $21.20 | 820 | 0.28 | 3.37 |
| Annual | $39,250 | $44,790 | $44,790 | $44,890 | $45,750 | $44,100 | ||||
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 | $15.53 | $18.61 | $19.16 | $20.92 | $23.08 | $19.61 | 1,220 | 18.63 | 222.31 |
| Annual | $32,300 | $38,710 | $39,840 | $43,500 | $48,010 | $40,780 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $18.87 | $21.53 | $21.54 | $21.58 | $22.00 | $21.20 | 820 | 0.28 | 3.37 |
| Annual | $39,250 | $44,790 | $44,790 | $44,890 | $45,750 | $44,100 | ||||
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | Hourly | $17.56 | $18.77 | $19.12 | $22.47 | $24.21 | $20.33 | 530 | 1.21 | 14.48 |
| Annual | $36,530 | $39,040 | $39,760 | $46,740 | $50,350 | $42,280 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.37 | $18.25 | $21.41 | $21.95 | $26.43 | $21.19 | 530 | 0.09 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $36,120 | $37,950 | $44,530 | $45,660 | $54,970 | $44,080 | ||||
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Hourly | $13.95 | $17.44 | $19.01 | $22.21 | $26.08 | $19.78 | 490 | 0.36 | 4.27 |
| Annual | $29,020 | $36,270 | $39,530 | $46,210 | $54,250 | $41,140 | ||||
Top industries employing textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
Fabric Mills employ 56.6% of textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally (7,380 jobs) at a median $39,430 a year ($18.96 an hour), followed by Textile Furnishings Mills (20.6%) and Apparel Knitting Mills (11.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric Mills NAICS 313200 | 7,380 | 56.6% | $39,430 | $18.96 |
| Textile Furnishings Mills NAICS 314100 | 2,680 | 20.6% | $40,700 | $19.57 |
| Apparel Knitting Mills NAICS 315100 | 1,450 | 11.1% | $36,160 | $17.39 |
| Rubber Product Manufacturing NAICS 326200 | 270 | 2.1% | $40,930 | $19.68 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 250 | 1.9% | $38,610 | $18.56 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (13,030). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $33,990 for textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders in May 2021 and $39,530 in May 2025, with employment of 16,330 and 13,030.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $33,990 | $16.34 | 16,330 |
| May 2022 | $35,750 | $17.19 | 16,900 |
| May 2023 | $37,130 | $17.85 | 15,980 |
| May 2024 | $38,260 | $18.40 | 14,530 |
| May 2025 | $39,530 | $19.01 | 13,030 |
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
25 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 | New York profile | $23.83 | $49,570 | $37,100 | $59,760 | 230 | 0.02 | 0.28 |
| 2 | New Hampshire profile | $23.29 | $48,440 | $41,530 | $56,050 | 70 | 0.10 | 1.14 |
| 3 | Maine profile | $23.25 | $48,350 | $40,250 | $48,860 | 160 | 0.24 | 2.91 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $23.18 | $48,220 | $40,780 | $50,740 | 110 | 0.03 | 0.37 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $22.32 | $46,430 | $37,900 | $62,820 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.21 |
| 6 | Wisconsin profile | $21.93 | $45,610 | $31,810 | $68,970 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.63 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.92 | $45,580 | $35,710 | $62,870 | 510 | 0.08 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Ohio profile | $21.65 | $45,040 | $37,600 | $62,750 | 60 | 0.01 | 0.13 |
| 9 | California profile | $21.41 | $44,530 | $36,090 | $54,970 | 590 | 0.03 | 0.39 |
| 10 | Massachusetts profile | $21.25 | $44,190 | $39,400 | $59,170 | 180 | 0.05 | 0.59 |
| 11 | Illinois profile | $20.65 | $42,950 | $33,160 | $57,370 | 70 | 0.01 | 0.13 |
| 12 | Georgia profile | $19.68 | $40,930 | $32,300 | $47,350 | 3,550 | 0.73 | 8.67 |
| 13 | South Carolina profile | $19.12 | $39,760 | $35,230 | $48,530 | 1,500 | 0.65 | 7.78 |
| 14 | Virginia profile | $18.98 | $39,470 | $37,480 | $44,100 | 580 | 0.14 | 1.69 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $18.64 | $38,760 | $32,080 | $50,220 | 250 | 0.49 | 5.88 |
| 16 | Michigan profile | $18.33 | $38,120 | $25,960 | $49,260 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.24 |
| 17 | Alabama profile | $17.95 | $37,340 | $28,810 | $49,590 | 770 | 0.37 | 4.35 |
| 18 | Indiana profile | $17.87 | $37,160 | $28,820 | $53,800 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| 19 | Louisiana profile | $17.72 | $36,860 | $25,410 | $44,720 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| 20 | New Jersey profile | $17.72 | $36,850 | $32,940 | $48,080 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.17 |
| 21 | North Carolina profile | $17.64 | $36,700 | $28,650 | $47,870 | 2,730 | 0.55 | 6.60 |
| 22 | Mississippi profile | $17.00 | $35,370 | $28,890 | $44,920 | 110 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| 23 | Texas profile | $16.72 | $34,790 | $20,180 | $43,300 | 170 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| 24 | Iowa profile | $16.21 | $33,730 | $31,490 | $43,710 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.51 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $16.13 | $33,550 | $27,920 | $46,820 | 380 | 0.12 | 1.37 |
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 51-6063 Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
- 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 51-6063, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-6063.00, 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.