Who Earns What

How much does a weaving operator make?

US Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
$39,530

a year · about $19 an hour

A typical weaving operator in the United States makes $39,530 a year, about $19 an hour, below a typical US worker ($50,980) (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What do they do?

They thread yarn through guides and rollers, start the loom, and watch the cloth take shape, checking for flaws. If a loom stops, they look for broken threads or mechanical trouble, adjust the machine, and inspect the fabric again.

Did you know? A weaver may watch a whole group of looms at once, scanning the growing cloth for tiny flaws.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know
This job$39,530
Typical worker$50,980
Elementary teacher$63,970
Doctor$244,180
Cashier$32,880

If 100 people had this job

Most earn between $29,960 and $49,130
48 of 100
not many

How do you become one?

Most employers look for a high school diploma or GED, though some may hire without one. New workers learn the mill’s machines on the job; an apprenticeship may be available for specialties such as loom fixing.

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 United States, pay can rise with experience and useful machine skills, such as setting up or troubleshooting looms. It also varies by employer or textile industry and by location, where local demand and living costs differ.

Where does it pay most?

Highest in New York ($49,570), lowest in Tennessee ($33,550).

See every state
Whole US$39,530
New York$49,570
New Hampshire$48,440
Maine$48,350
Washington$48,220
Minnesota$46,430
Texas$34,790
Iowa$33,730
Tennessee$33,550

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

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Who earns more?
Data table and sources
Weaving operator 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
$29,960$39,530$49,130about 13,000
States where weaving operators earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
New York$49,570about 230
New Hampshire$48,440about 70
Maine$48,350about 160
Washington$48,220about 110
Minnesota$46,430about 50

Official definition: Set up, operate, or tend machines that knit, loop, weave, or draw in textiles. Excludes “Sewing Machine Operators” (51-6031).

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

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