SOC 51-6062.00

    Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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

    Median pay
    $38,760
    Growth
    -13.6%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    900
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $28,650
    Median
    $38,760
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $49,420
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    9,000 people work in this occupation.

    What textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

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

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    89 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    9 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    9 / 100
    Social (S)
    4 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    9 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    58 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    78
    Getting Information
    74
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    74
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    73
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    71
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    70
    Handling and Moving Objects
    67
    Performing General Physical Activities
    65
    Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
    64
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    63
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Monitoring
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Active Listening
    • Coordination
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Repairing
    • Speaking
    • Troubleshooting

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • Mathematics
    • Mechanical
    • English Language
    • Design
    • Education and Training
    • Administration and Management
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Engineering and Technology

    Abilities

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Information Ordering
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Auditory Attention
    • Control Precision
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Near Vision
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Reaction Time

    Work styles

    • Cautiousness
    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Cooperation
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Automated Cutting Machine Operator · Automatic Die Cutting Machine Operator · Automatic Folding Machine Operator · Automatic Label Cutting Machine Operator · Band Cutter · Barrel Drum Cutter · Bedspread Cutter · Bias Cutting Machine Operator · Binding Cutter · Blanket Cutting Machine Operator

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.