Sewing machine operators
SOC Code: 51-6031
Sewing machine operators carries a 31% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $36,000 and -10.8% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 124,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 31% AI exposure, Sewing machine operators sits 6 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 33% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
24/100
Sewing machine operators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $36,000
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -10.8%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) B- 31% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Sewing machine operators in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is No credential (109/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Sewing machine operators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Sewing machine operators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
31% Lower than most lower than 67% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Sewing machine operators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Sewing machine operators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Sewing machine operators's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-6031) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Sewing machine operators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Sewing machine operators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.
- 2. Cut materials according to specifications, using blades, scissors, or electric knives.
- 3. Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
- 4. Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides.
- 5. Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
- 6. Remove holding devices and finished items from machines.
- 7. Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match.
- 8. Fold or stretch edges or lengths of items while sewing to facilitate forming specified sections.
- 9. Cut excess material or thread from finished products.
- 10. Select supplies such as fasteners and thread, according to job requirements.
Key Skills Required
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Operation and Control
Knowledge Areas
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Transportation
- Computers and Electronics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Sewing machine operators?
Sewing machine operators has an AI exposure score of 31%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Sewing machine operators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Sewing machine operators is projected to decline by 10.8% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 124,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Sewing machine operators?
Key skills for Sewing machine operators include Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Sewing machine operators earn?
The median annual wage for Sewing machine operators is $36,000, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Sewing machine operators?
The typical entry-level education for Sewing machine operators is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Sewing machine operators?
Sewing machine operators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Sewing machine operators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (31% here).
- Animal trainers · AI exposure 31%
- Carpet installers · AI exposure 31%
- Chemical engineers · AI exposure 31%
- Chemists · AI exposure 31%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-10.8% here).
- Tool and die makers · growth -10.8%
- Computer numerically controlled tool operators · growth -10.7%
- Bill and account collectors · growth -10.5%
- Helpers--brickmasons, blockmasons, stonemasons, and tile and marble setters · growth -10.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Sewing machine operators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Sewing machine operators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).