Occupation salary profile

Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

SOC 51-6062 BLS OEWS May 2025

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut textiles.

National median · BLS
$38,760
▲ +2.16% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$39,530
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
9,000
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, 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$28,650
25th$34,230
Median (50th)$38,760
75th$45,220
90th — top pay$49,420

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Monthly—
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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

BLS projects employment of textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders to decline 13.6% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
9,400 → 8,200
-1,300 jobs
Projected change
-13.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
5.1% 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.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operations Monitoring3.8
  • Operation and Control3.4
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Quality Control Analysis3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Coordination3.0
  • Equipment Maintenance3.0
  • Repairing3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Troubleshooting3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Production and Processing3.3
  • Mathematics2.9
  • Mechanical2.8
  • English Language2.6
  • Design2.5
  • Education and Training2.2
  • Administration and Management2.2
  • Computers and Electronics2.1
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordSAP softwareHAISEN SoftWare System

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 textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders do

  • Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
  • Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters, or computer numerically controlled cutting devices.
  • Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
  • Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products.
  • Record information about work completed and machine settings.
  • Notify supervisors of mechanical malfunctions.
  • Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed.
  • Confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems.
Also called
CutterCutter OperatorFabric CutterSpreaderAutomated Cutting Machine OperatorCNC Cutting Operator (Computer Numerical Control Cutting Operator)Die Cut OperatorLaser OperatorSpread CutterTextile Slitting Machine Operator
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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.