Sewing Machine Operators pay in California

In California, the median pay for sewing machine operators is $18.24 an hour ($37,940 a year). About 13,240 people work in this job there.

$18.24Median hourly pay

$36,380–$44,280Middle half of workers, yearly

13,240People in this job in California

That is 3% higher than the U.S. median ($36,670). California ranks 19th of 50 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for sewing machine operators in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$16.80	$34,950
25% of workers	$17.49	$36,380
Half of workers (median)	$18.24	$37,940
75% of workers	$21.29	$44,280
90% of workers	$23.58	$49,040

Sewing Machine Operators pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$47,220	220
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$44,880	740
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$44,350	40
Stockton-Lodi	$43,500	120
Napa	$42,550	30
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$42,080	190
Merced	$40,630	30
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$39,800	180
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$39,570	730
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$39,420	80
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	$39,070	820
Santa Rosa-Petaluma	$38,610	160
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles	$38,550	80
Fresno	$38,270	90
Modesto	$38,100	30
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$37,130	9,310
Bakersfield-Delano	$36,740	50

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for sewing machine operators

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: -15.1% over ten years, declining · about 9,800 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$48,730
Machine Feeders and Offbearers	$40,380
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials	$39,300
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$46,110
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand	$37,840
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$38,870
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$44,530
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers	$38,130

Other job titles for this job

QuilterPiperBack FacerBand MakerZipper Machine OperatorBinderAppliquerArmhole SewerAutomat WatcherAutomatic HemmerAutomatic SeamerAutomatic Serging Machine Operator

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.