Sewing machine operator demographics and statistics in the US
Sewing machine operator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates sewing machine operator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our sewing machine operator estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about sewing machine operators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 40,177 sewing machine operators currently employed in the United States.
- 84.3% of all sewing machine operators are women, while 15.7% are men.
- The average sewing machine operator age is 50 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of sewing machine operators is White (65.3%), followed by Asian (10.1%), Black or African American (9.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.5%).
- In 2022, women earned 96% of what men earned.
- 5% of all sewing machine operators are LGBT.
- Sewing machine operators are 80% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Sewing machine operator demographics by:
Sewing machine operator gender statistics
84.3% of sewing machine operators are women and 15.7% of sewing machine operators are men.
- Female, 84.3%
- Male, 15.7%
Sewing machine operator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 84.3% |
| Male | 15.7% |
Sewing machine operator gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$31,986
Female income
$30,694
Sewing machine operator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in sewing machine operator positions over time. Currently, 84.3% of sewing machine operators are female.
Sewing machine operator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13.76% | 86.24% |
| 2011 | 14.27% | 85.73% |
| 2012 | 15.22% | 84.78% |
| 2013 | 14.42% | 85.58% |
| 2014 | 14.57% | 85.43% |
| 2015 | 15.73% | 84.27% |
| 2016 | 16.47% | 83.53% |
| 2017 | 14.46% | 85.54% |
| 2018 | 16.96% | 83.04% |
| 2019 | 15.30% | 84.70% |
| 2020 | 14.36% | 85.64% |
| 2021 | 15.71% | 84.29% |
Sewing machine operator related jobs gender ratio
We compared sewing machine operators with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dye tub operator and cloth doffer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Laundress | 3% | 97% |
| Custom Seamstress | 3% | 97% |
| Seamstress | 6% | 94% |
| Sewing Machine Operator | 16% | 84% |
| Dry Finisher | 94% | 6% |
| Cloth Doffer | 95% | 5% |
| Dye Tub Operator | 97% | 3% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Sewing machine operator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among sewing machine operators is White, which makes up 65.3% of all sewing machine operators. Comparatively, 10.1% of sewing machine operators are Asian and 9.7% of sewing machine operators are Black or African American.
- White, 65.3%
- Asian, 10.1%
- Black or African American, 9.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 9.5%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
Sewing machine operator race
| Sewing machine operator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.3% |
| Asian | 10.1% |
| Black or African American | 9.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 9.5% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.9% |
Sewing machine operator race and ethnicity over time
See how sewing machine operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Sewing machine operator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.28% | 12.53% | 12.00% | 11.34% |
| 2011 | 61.13% | 14.40% | 9.74% | 13.08% |
| 2012 | 61.94% | 12.94% | 11.16% | 12.63% |
| 2013 | 62.35% | 10.99% | 11.16% | 13.50% |
| 2014 | 61.57% | 10.47% | 10.18% | 16.24% |
| 2015 | 64.53% | 10.37% | 10.59% | 12.85% |
| 2016 | 62.60% | 11.19% | 10.74% | 13.77% |
| 2017 | 63.11% | 12.26% | 9.56% | 12.91% |
| 2018 | 64.58% | 11.46% | 10.88% | 11.64% |
| 2019 | 66.50% | 11.45% | 10.77% | 9.96% |
| 2020 | 66.10% | 10.02% | 9.38% | 10.87% |
| 2021 | 65.32% | 9.67% | 10.15% | 9.54% |
Sewing machine operator wage gap by race
According to our data, white sewing machine operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino sewing machine operators have the lowest average salary at $31,493.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $31,593 |
| White | $32,724 |
| Black or African American | $31,944 |
| Asian | $32,191 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $31,493 |
Average sewing machine operator age
See how the average age of sewing machine operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Sewing machine operator age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 53 | |
| White | 49 | 55 |
| Black or African American | 47 | 55 |
| Asian | 48.5 | 56 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 47 | 49 |
Sewing machine operator age breakdown
The average age of sewing machine operators is 40+ years years old, representing 81% of the sewing machine operator population.
Sewing machine operator age breakdown
| Sewing Machine Operator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 81% |
| 30-40 years | 14% |
| 20-30 years | 5% |
Sewing machine operator educational attainment
The most common degree for sewing machine operators is high school diploma, with 49% of sewing machine operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 15%.
- High School Diploma, 49%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 15%
- Bachelor's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Sewing machine operators by degree level
| Sewing machine operator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 49% |
| Associate | 20% |
| Diploma | 15% |
| Bachelor's | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Sewing machine operator jobs you might like
Sewing machine operator wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,386 |
| No Education | $31,808 |
Sewing machine operator employment statistics
Most sewing machine operators work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where sewing machine operators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where sewing machine operators work.
Sewing machine operator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 31% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Sewing machine operator jobs by company type
Employees with the sewing machine operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most sewing machine operators prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Sewing machine operator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 16% |
| Private | 80% |
| Government | 2% |
Sewing machine operator jobs by industry
The most common industries for sewing machine operators are manufacturing, retail and professional.
Sewing machine operator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 29% |
| Retail | 22% |
| Professional | 14% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Health Care | 4% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Government | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Sewing machine operator turnover and employment statistics
Sewing machine operator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for sewing machine operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sewing machine operator unemployment rate by year
| Year | Sewing machine operator unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.35% |
| 2011 | 11.91% |
| 2012 | 10.40% |
| 2013 | 8.24% |
| 2014 | 5.56% |
| 2015 | 5.92% |
| 2016 | 4.07% |
| 2017 | 5.15% |
| 2018 | 6.28% |
| 2019 | 3.00% |
| 2020 | 8.49% |
| 2021 | 6.83% |
Average sewing machine operator tenure
The average sewing machine operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 6,305 sewing machine operators resumes in Zippia's database.
Sewing machine operator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Sewing machine operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of sewing machine operators that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Dip Worker | 5.10% | 24,037 |
| Back Upholsterer | 5.26% | 1,772 |
| Sewing Machine Operator | 5.45% | - |
| Winder Tender | 7.83% | 434 |
| Stitcher | 12.01% | 191 |
Similar sewing machine operator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Dip Worker | 5.10% | 24,037 |
| Back Upholsterer | 5.26% | 1,772 |
| Winder Tender | 7.83% | 434 |
| Stitcher | 12.01% | 191 |
Foreign languages spoken by sewing machine operators
The most common foreign language among sewing machine operators is Spanish at 66.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.1% and Arabic is the third-most popular at 3.0%.
- Spanish, 66.7%
- French, 8.1%
- Arabic, 3.0%
- Portuguese, 2.0%
- Russian, 2.0%
- Other, 18.2%
Sewing machine operator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 66.7% |
| French | 8.1% |
| Arabic | 3.0% |
| Portuguese | 2.0% |
| Russian | 2.0% |
| Other | 18.2% |
