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Sewing Machine Operators

$31.74K Median Salary 12.2K Job Openings (Annual Projection) -14% Job Growth

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About This Career

Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.

Reported Job Titles

Line Closer, Machine Operator, Prototype Sewer, Sample Maker, Seamer, Seamstress, Sew On Operator, Sewer, Sewing Machine Operator, Zipper Machine Operator

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Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Manual Dexterity

Control Precision

Near Vision

Finger Dexterity

Information Ordering

Multilimb Coordination

Rate Control

Deductive Reasoning

Problem Sensitivity

Reaction Time

Visual Color Discrimination

Visualization

Skills

Monitoring

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Internet browser software

Tools

Sewing machines

Rulers

Sewing patterns

Rotary paper or fabric cutter

Bobbins or bobbin holders

Seam ripper

Pattern cutting mats or boards

Tape measures

Needle threader

Awls

Serrated pattern tracing wheel

Hand clamps

Buttonhole machines

Domestic clothing irons

Stitch bonding machines

Shears

Embroidery hoops

Bodkin

Hand sander

Straight pins

Sewing machine needles

Utility knives

Abilities

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.
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.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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.
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).
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.
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.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
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 that there is a problem.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Visual Color Discrimination: The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.