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Sewing Machine Operators Salary in San Jose, CA

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Sewing Machine Operators in San Jose, CA have a median annual salary of $47,220, with 220 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $41,690 at the 10th percentile to $55,230 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$47,220

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$22.70

Employment

220

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$41,690
10th
$42,100
25th
$47,220
Median
$50,200
75th
$55,230
90th

Local compared with national

San Jose, CA

$47,220

Median annual · 2025

United States

$36,670

Median annual · 2025

The San Jose, CA median is 28.8% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $10,550).

Top skills

  1. 1.MonitoringImportance 3.1
  2. 2.Active ListeningImportance 2.8
  3. 3.Critical ThinkingImportance 2.8
  4. 4.Complex Problem SolvingImportance 2.8
  5. 5.Operations MonitoringImportance 2.8
  6. 6.Quality Control AnalysisImportance 2.8
  7. 7.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 2.8
  8. 8.Time ManagementImportance 2.8
  9. 9.Reading ComprehensionImportance 2.6
  10. 10.Operation and ControlImportance 2.6
  11. 11.CoordinationImportance 2.5
  12. 12.Social PerceptivenessImportance 2.4

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Experience
Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Job zone
2

Technology used

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Web browser software

Common tasks

  • Guide garments or garment parts under machine needles and presser feet to sew parts together.
  • Remove holding devices and finished items from machines.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other locations

Other occupations in San Jose, CA