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Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders Career, Salary and Skills

Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $38,180 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 5,310. Wage data is published for 27 locations.

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Occupation description

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

O*NET code

51-6061.00

Job zone

2

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Experience

None

National salary and employment

Median annual

$38,180

Hourly median

$18.36

Employment

5,310

Data year

2025

National salary distribution

$30,300
10th
$35,680
25th
$38,180
Median
$45,280
75th
$48,100
90th

Top skills

SkillImportanceLevel
Operations Monitoring3.753.75
Operation and Control3.383.25
Active Listening3.002.88
Monitoring3.002.75
Time Management3.002.38
Critical Thinking2.882.75
Reading Comprehension2.882.75
Speaking2.882.75
Quality Control Analysis2.883.00
Judgment and Decision Making2.882.25
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Typical tasks

  • Adjust equipment controls to maintain specified heat, tension, and speed.
  • Soak specified textile products for designated times.
  • Weigh ingredients, such as dye, to be mixed together for use in textile processing.
  • Start and control machines and equipment to wash, bleach, dye, or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread, or other textile goods.
  • Observe display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly.
  • Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions.
  • Monitor factors such as temperatures and dye flow rates to ensure that they are within specified ranges.
  • Inspect machinery to determine necessary adjustments and repairs.
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Technology

  • Hewlett-Packard HP OpenVMS
  • Linux
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software
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Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

All 27 locations →

Related careers

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.