Occupations · Production
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines that knit, loop, weave, or draw in textiles.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-6063.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 62% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Dalton, GA | $38,550 | 1,580 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $41,630 | 750 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | $42,770 | 650 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $36,070 | 580 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $39,760 | 570 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,630 | 520 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $36,590 | 410 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $35,130 | 320 |
| Burlington, NC | $35,010 | 310 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $39,210 | 290 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $41,090 | 250 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $35,260 | 200 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Observe woven cloth to detect weaving defects.
- Thread yarn, thread, and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting, or other processing.
- Remove defects in cloth by cutting and pulling out filling.
- Examine looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks, or mechanical defects.
- Inspect products to ensure that specifications are met and to determine if machines need adjustment.
- Notify supervisors or repair staff of mechanical malfunctions.
- Program electronic equipment.
- Set up, or set up and operate textile machines that perform textile processing and manufacturing operations such as winding, twisting, knitting, weaving, bonding, or stretching.
- Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
- Install, level, and align machine components such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles to set up machinery for operation.
- Record information about work completed and machine settings.
- Stop machines when specified amounts of product have been produced.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2023-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2023-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 2
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| knitting machine supervisor | 8152.1.1 | close |
| knitter | 7318.4 | close |
| weaver | 7318.6 | close |
| weaving machine operator | 8152.3 | broader |
| knitting machine operator | 8152.1 | broader |
| knitting textile technician | 8152.1.2 | broader |
| weaving machine supervisor | 8152.3.2 | broader |
| weaving textile technician | 8152.3.3 | broader |
| carpet weaver | 7318.2 | broader |
| tufting operator | 8152.3.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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