Occupations · Production
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines that wind or twist textiles; or draw out and combine sliver, such as wool, hemp, or synthetic fibers. Includes slubber machine and drawing frame operators.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-6064.00
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 70% 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 | $37,870 | 3,250 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $35,910 | 1,160 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $41,120 | 810 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $36,570 | 670 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $37,220 | 520 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | $37,080 | 500 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $38,880 | 370 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $36,640 | 320 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $35,530 | 300 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $41,930 | 280 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $33,920 | 260 |
| Burlington, NC | $35,600 | 170 |
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 bobbins as they are winding and cut threads to remove loaded bobbins, using knives.
- Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions.
- Thread yarn, thread, or fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines.
- Unwind lengths of yarn, thread, or twine from spools and wind onto bobbins.
- Start machines, monitor operation, and make adjustments as needed.
- Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed.
- Record production data such as numbers and types of bobbins wound.
- Replace depleted supply packages with full packages.
- Stop machines when specified amount of products has been produced.
- Adjust machine settings such as speed or tension to produce products that meet specifications.
- Inspect products to verify that they meet specifications and to determine whether machine adjustment is needed.
- Tend machines that twist together two or more strands of yarn or insert additional twists into single strands of yarn to increase strength, smoothness, or uniformity of yarn.
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 2019-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2019-08
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 1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| twisting machine operator | 8151.2.2 | broader |
| spinning machine operator | 8151.2 | broader |
| winding machine operator | 8151.4 | broader |
| braiding machine operator | 8159.1 | broader |
| braiding textile technician | 8159.2 | broader |
| man-made fiber spinner | 8151.2.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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