Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Production and manufacturing / 51-6031.00

Sewing Machine Operators

Operate or tend sewing machines to join, reinforce, decorate, or perform related sewing operations in the manufacture of garment or nongarment products.

US jobs
104,880
Median wage
$36,670 a year
Job family
Production and manufacturing

Can agents do the work of sewing machine operators?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Production and manufacturing: Unmeasured (no change in 12 months)

No direct benchmark gives a success rate.

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 21%Position workpieces or materials on equipmentNot measured
  • 20%Sew garments or materialsNot measured
  • 8%Cut materialsNot measured
  • 7%Create decorative objects or parts of objectsNot measured
  • 6%Position materials or components for assemblyNot measured
  • 6%Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or productsNot measured
  • 6%Monitor equipment operationNot measured
  • 5%Select materials or equipment for operations or projectsNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in production and manufacturing, not always this occupation's tasks.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions.
  • Place spools of thread, cord, or other materials on spindles, insert bobbins, and thread ends through machine guides and components.
  • Position items under needles, using marks on machines, clamps, templates, or cloth as guides.
  • Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
  • Remove holding devices and finished items from machines.
  • Match cloth pieces in correct sequences prior to sewing them, and verify that dye lots and patterns match.
  • Fold or stretch edges or lengths of items while sewing to facilitate forming specified sections.
  • Cut excess material or thread from finished products.
  • Select supplies such as fasteners and thread, according to job requirements.
  • Examine and measure finished articles to verify conformance to standards, using rulers.
  • Start and operate or tend machines, such as single or double needle serging and flat-bed felling machines, to automatically join, reinforce, or decorate material or articles.
  • Record quantities of materials processed.
Other job titles for this occupation (80)

Line Closer · Machine Operator · Prototype Sewer · Sample Maker · Seamer · Seamstress · Sew On Operator · Sewer · Sewing Machine Operator · Zipper Machine Operator · Appliquer · Apron Operator · Armhole Sewer · Automat Watcher · Automatic Hemmer · Automatic Seamer · Automatic Serging Machine Operator · Automatic Shirring Machine Operator · Automatic Trimming Sewer · Back Facer · Bag Maker · Bag Mender · Band Maker · Bander · Bar Tacker Sewing Machine · Baster · Basting Machine Operator · Bathing Suit Maker · Bead Sewing Worker · Belt Loop Machine Operator · Belt Maker · Belt Sewer · Binder · Binding Stitcher · Blind Stitch Machine Operator · Blindstitch Hemmer · Blindstitch Lapel Padder · Blindstitch Lining Feller · Blindstitch Machine Operator · Border Machine Operator · Borderer · Bouffant Curtain Machine Tender · Bow Maker · Braider · Braiding Machine Operator · Brim Stitcher · Buckle Sewer · Button Sewer · Button Sewing Machine Operator · Buttonhole and Button Sewing Machine Operator · Buttonhole Facer · Buttonhole Machine Operator · Buttonhole Maker · Buttonholer · Canvas Baster · Cap Maker · Cap Sewer · Carpet Sewer · Carpet Sewing Machine Operator · Casing Sewer · Chainstitch Binder · Chainstitch Elastic Attacher · Chainstitch Felled Seam Operator · Chainstitch Hemmer · Chainstitch Pants Outseamer · Chainstitch Seat Joiner · Chainstitch Sewing Machine Operator · Chainstitch Tunnel Elastic Operator · Chainstitch Zipper Setter · Chenille Machine Operator · Cloth Mender · Coat Feller · Coat Finisher · Coat Joiner · Coat Operator · Collar Baster · Collar Feller · Collar Maker · Collar Runner · Collar Setter