Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend machines to bleach, shrink, wash, dye, or finish textiles or synthetic or glass fibers.
What it pays
Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders earn a median of $18.36/hr — about $38,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $14.57/hr; the top 10% earn $23.12/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders earn a median of $18.36/hr — about $38,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $14.57/hr; the top 10% earn $23.12/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Weigh ingredients, such as dye, to be mixed together for use in textile processing.
- Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods.
- Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly.
- Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions.
- Monitor factors such as temperatures and dye flow rates to ensure that they are within specified ranges.
- Add dyes, water, detergents, or chemicals to tanks to dilute or strengthen solutions, according to established formulas and solution test results.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2.4% of textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Tool and Die Makers
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
Quick questions
- How much does a textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tender make?
- The median pay is $18.36 per hour — roughly $38,000 a year, with the real range running from about $14.57/hr (10th percentile) to $23.12/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tender?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tender actually do all day?
- Weigh ingredients, such as dye, to be mixed together for use in textile processing. Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods. Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.