Who Earns What

How much does a fabric dyer make?

US Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
$38,180

a year · about $18 an hour

A typical fabric dyer in the United States makes $38,180 a year, about $18 an hour, below a typical US worker ($50,980) (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What do they do?

They weigh dye, load fabric or yarn, and start a machine. They watch the temperature and dye flow, check the color for flaws, adjust the machine, and record the work.

Did you know? In one dye bath, cotton can turn bright while polyester stays pale—even when both soak together—because the dye sticks much better to cotton.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know
This job$38,180
Typical worker$50,980
Elementary teacher$63,970
Doctor$244,180
Cashier$32,880

If 100 people had this job

Most earn between $30,300 and $48,100
43 of 100
not many

How do you become one?

In the U.S., a high school diploma or GED is common, though some jobs may not require one. Apply for an entry-level dye-house job and learn its machines on the job; training can take days to about a year.

School needed: High school plus some training

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized

Why does pay differ?

In the U.S., experience, useful certifications, and skill with tricky colors or complex machines can affect pay. Factory type, location, and hours or shift premiums can also change what a worker earns.

Where does it pay most?

Highest in Rhode Island ($45,930), lowest in Florida ($29,850).

See every state
Whole US$38,180
Rhode Island$45,930
Michigan$44,720
Mississippi$43,640
Georgia$41,960
South Carolina$39,410
Alabama$33,190
Wisconsin$30,930
Florida$29,850

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

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Who earns more?
Data table and sources
Fabric dyer pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$30,300$38,180$48,100about 5,000
States where fabric dyers earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
Rhode Island$45,930about 210
Michigan$44,720about 60
Mississippi$43,640about 80
Georgia$41,960about 490
South Carolina$39,410about 770

Official definition: Operate or tend machines to bleach, shrink, wash, dye, or finish textiles or synthetic or glass fibers.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY