The average salary for a sewing machine operator in California is around $37,940 per year.
Avg Salary
Sewing machine operators earn an average yearly salary of $37,940.
Wages typically start from $34,950 and go up to $49,040.
50% below national average Updated in 2025
Sewing machine operator earnings by seniority
Top-level sewing machine operator earnings begin at:
$23.58 per hour
$49,040 per year
Senior-level sewing machine operator earnings begin at:
$21.29 per hour
$44,280 per year
Mid-level sewing machine operator earnings begin at:
$18.24 per hour
$37,940 per year
Junior-level sewing machine operator earnings begin at:
$17.49 per hour
$36,380 per year
Starting level sewing machine operator earnings begin at:
$16.80 per hour
$34,950 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Sewing machine operator salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Nevada | $45,750 |
| Alaska | $43,850 |
| Colorado | $43,840 |
| Maine | $43,520 |
| Washington | $43,360 |
| Massachusetts | $42,910 |
| New Hampshire | $41,740 |
| Vermont | $40,850 |
| Wisconsin | $40,370 |
| Arizona | $40,210 |
| Oregon | $39,780 |
| Hawaii | $39,230 |
| South Dakota | $39,000 |
| Minnesota | $38,930 |
| Rhode Island | $38,670 |
| New York | $38,480 |
| Indiana | $38,440 |
| South Carolina | $38,250 |
| California | $37,940 |
| Connecticut | $37,780 |
| Delaware | $37,690 |
| Mississippi | $37,600 |
| Michigan | $37,490 |
| Idaho | $37,160 |
| Nebraska | $37,060 |
| Montana | $36,740 |
| Wyoming | $36,510 |
| District of Columbia | $36,350 |
| Illinois | $36,220 |
| New Jersey | $36,130 |
| Iowa | $35,870 |
| Maryland | $35,860 |
| Virginia | $35,790 |
| Ohio | $35,760 |
| North Dakota | $35,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,640 |
| Arkansas | $35,630 |
| Missouri | $35,610 |
| Utah | $35,550 |
| Kansas | $35,360 |
| North Carolina | $35,160 |
| New Mexico | $34,840 |
| Georgia | $34,790 |
| Tennessee | $34,220 |
| Oklahoma | $33,340 |
| Florida | $33,270 |
| Texas | $31,000 |
| Alabama | $30,830 |
| Louisiana | $29,600 |
| Kentucky | $29,460 |
| West Virginia | $29,320 |
| Puerto Rico | $17,370 |
How do sewing machine operator salaries compare to similar careers?
Sewing machine operators earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than food servers but more than dyeing machine operators.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Food server salary | $36K |
| Machine feeder salary | $40K |
| Food batchmaker salary | $42K |
| Sewer salary | $42K |
| Barista salary | $42K |
| Sewing machine operator salary | $38K |
| Shoemaker salary | $38K |
| Cashier salary | $37K |
| Nail technician salary | $37K |
| Dyeing machine operator salary | $37K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)