Operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
National median · BLS
$35,650
▼ -6.58%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$36,280
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
3,280
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$26,560
25th
$29,090
Median (50th)
$35,650
75th
$43,090
90th — top pay
$47,700
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
BLS projects employment of shoe machine operators and tenders to decline 6.9% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
4,600 → 4,200
-300 jobs
Projected change
-6.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
26.3% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What shoe machine operators and tenders do
Inspect finished products to ensure that shoes have been completed according to specifications.
Align parts to be stitched, following seams, edges, or markings, before positioning them under needles.
Operate or tend machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
Remove and examine shoes, shoe parts, and designs to verify conformance to specifications such as proper embedding of stitches in channels.
Switch on machines, lower pressure feet or rollers to secure parts, and start machine stitching, using hand, foot, or knee controls.
Draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles.
Study work orders or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used.
Perform routine equipment maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating machines or replacing broken needles.
Also called
Boot MakerInseamerSide LasterStitcherCobblerInsole Department WorkerShoe CementerShoe MakerToe Trimmer
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $35,650.
