Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines that knit, loop, weave, or draw in textiles.
What it pays
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $19.01/hr — about $39,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $14.40/hr; the top 10% earn $23.62/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $19.01/hr — about $39,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $14.40/hr; the top 10% earn $23.62/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
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; much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2.4% of textile knitting and weaving machine setters, 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.
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Quick questions
- How much does a textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tender make?
- The median pay is $19.01 per hour — roughly $39,500 a year, with the real range running from about $14.40/hr (10th percentile) to $23.62/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a textile knitting and weaving machine setters, 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 knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tender actually do all day?
- 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.
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.