Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S. is $39,530 ($19.01 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $39,530
- Mean annual wage
- $40,720
- Median hourly wage
- $19.01
- Employment
- 13,030
13,030 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,960 | $14.40 |
| 25th percentile | $36,390 | $17.50 |
| Median (50th) | $39,530 | $19.01 |
| 75th percentile | $45,220 | $21.74 |
| 90th percentile | $49,130 | $23.62 |
Highest-paying states for textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $49,570 | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $48,440 | 70 |
| Maine | $48,350 | 160 |
| Washington | $48,220 | 110 |
| Minnesota | $46,430 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $45,610 | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,580 | 510 |
| Ohio | $45,040 | 60 |
| California | $44,530 | 590 |
| Massachusetts | $44,190 | 180 |
Lowest-paying states
- Tennessee: $33,550 median annual wage
- Iowa: $33,730 median annual wage
- Texas: $34,790 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $35,370 median annual wage
- North Carolina: $36,700 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up, operate, or tend machines that knit, loop, weave, or draw in textiles.
Typical tasks
- Remove defects in cloth by cutting and pulling out filling.
- Thread yarn, thread, and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting, or other processing.
- Confer with co-workers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems.
- Record information about work completed and machine settings.
- Study guides, loom patterns, samples, charts, or specification sheets, or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine setup requirements.
- Repair or replace worn or defective needles and other components, using hand tools.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 29.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 44.0% |
| Some college, no degree | 17.5% |
| Associate's degree | 3.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 3.7% |
| Master's degree | 0.6% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.7% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.