# Sewing Machine Operators

US SOC code 51-6031. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/51-6031

Also called: Industrial sewing operator, Garment assembler, Seamstress, Seamer, Line closer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **104,880** US sewing machine operators, with median pay of **$36,670** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **265,200**, in May 2003. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop) of **95,000** from 1870, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for sewing machine operators: Computerized pattern cutting + CNC embroidery machines, 1970 to 2000. Automated cutting reduced cutter headcount substantially; CNC embroidery displaced embroidery operators.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 15.1% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=51-6031&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **2.3%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.89** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.89. BLS counted **143,370** of these jobs in May 2013 and **104,880** in May 2025 (-27%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Sewing Machine Operators employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1851
- Latest US employment: 104,880 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $36,670 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [10]
- Outlook: -15.1% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [21]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 94132)
  - Employment, 2020: 13,495. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [7]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 94132 Industrial sewing machine operators, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$30,800. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [13]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 94132 Industrial sewing machine operators, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1870 | 95,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia — Sweatshop (derived estimate) [1] |
| 1900 | 350,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Historical estimate of US… [2] |
| 1911 | n/a | $364 (estimate) | Est., Annualized garment-worker wage estimate [8] |
| 1950 | 900,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Historical estimate of US sewing… [3] |
| 1970 | 1,200,000 (estimate) | $4,200 (estimate) | Est., Wikipedia (employment) [1]; Est., Annual wage estimate for unionized… (pay) [9] |
| 1995 | 760,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [1] |
| 2003 | 265,200 | $17,710 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 242,500 | $17,920 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 233,130 | $18,340 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 219,080 | $18,810 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 200,340 | $19,370 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 190,440 | $19,870 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 165,680 | $20,260 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 147,030 | $20,600 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 142,860 | $21,120 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 142,380 | $21,270 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 143,370 | $21,490 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 142,070 | $21,920 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 141,520 | $22,550 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 139,500 | $23,670 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 136,530 | $24,320 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 136,450 | $25,030 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 133,410 | $26,420 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 116,520 | $28,230 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 116,220 | $29,690 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 116,750 | $31,740 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 116,130 | $34,440 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 109,590 | $36,000 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 104,880 | $36,670 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (84)

### Employment series

1. [Historical estimate of US sewing machine operators, c.1870, derived from garment-industry labor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop), Wikipedia — Sweatshop (derived estimate)
2. [Historical estimate of US garment/sewing-machine workers, c.1900, derived from sewing-machine and garment-industry history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Merritt_Singer), Wikipedia — Isaac Merritt Singer (derived estimate)
3. [Historical estimate of US sewing machine operators, c.1950, derived from garment-industry history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garment_industry_in_New_York_City), Wikipedia — Garment industry in New York City (derived estimate)
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
5. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

8. [Annualized garment-worker wage estimate, 1911 (~$7/week derived from contemporary accounts)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire), Wikipedia — Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (derived estimate)
9. [Annual wage estimate for unionized garment/sewing operators, c.1970, derived from ILGWU labor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Ladies%27_Garment_Workers%27_Union), Wikipedia — International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (derived estimate)
10. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
11. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

14. [Wikipedia — Sewing machine (Singer patent 1851, production figures 1856-1860, productivity comparison)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine), Wikipedia
15. [Wikipedia — Isaac Merritt Singer (Singer machine capabilities and commercialization)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Merritt_Singer), Wikipedia
16. [Wikipedia — International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU, founded 1900, peak 450,000 members 1969)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Ladies%27_Garment_Workers%27_Union), Wikipedia
17. [Wikipedia — Sweatshop (garment workers declined from 1.2 million in 1970 to 760,000 in 1995)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop), Wikipedia
18. [O\*NET 51-6031.00 — BLS OEWS May 2024 (current employment 124,000)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-6031.00), O\*NET / BLS
19. [SoftWear Automation — Sewbot T-shirt production line](https://softwearautomation.com/sewbots/), SoftWear Automation
20. [BLS National Employment Matrix 2024-34 — 51-6031 Sewing Machine Operators](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=51-6031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Forecasts and exposure studies

21. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 51-6031 Sewing machine operators (2025: 117.2 thousand; 2035: 99.5 thousand; -15.1%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=51-6031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
22. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 51-6031 Sewing Machine Operators: probability 0.89, rank 530 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
23. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 51-6031.00, human-rated β 0.023)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

24. [Wikipedia — Sewing machine (Singer patent 1851; 13,000 machines per year by 1860)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (founded June 3, 1900; 450,000 peak members)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Ladies%27_Garment_Workers%27_Union), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia — Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (146 dead, March 25, 1911; 38 new labor laws)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire), Wikipedia
27. [Wikipedia — Sweatshop (employment decline: 1.2 million in 1970 to 760,000 in 1995)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop), Wikipedia
28. [SoftWear Automation — Sewbot T-shirt production line](https://softwearautomation.com/sewbots/), SoftWear Automation

### Predecessors & successors

29. [Wikipedia — Sewing machine (displacement of hand sewers by Singer machine from 1851)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine), Wikipedia
30. [Wikipedia — Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire (predominantly young immigrant women workers)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire), Wikipedia

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 29.0 — Sewing Machine Operators (51-6031.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-6031.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OEWS May 2023 — Sewing Machine Operators](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes516031.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [SoftWear Automation — Sewbot T-shirt production line](https://softwearautomation.com/sewbots/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Standard Bots — Sewing robots in 2026: cost, use cases, and how they work](https://standardbots.com/blog/sewing-robots), accessed 2026-06-05
- [McKinsey — Is apparel manufacturing coming home?](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/is-apparel-manufacturing-coming-home), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [TEXINTEL — JUKI brings AI power to the reshoring fashion sewing factory](https://www.texintel.com/press-room/juki-brings-ai-power-to-the-reshoring-fashion-sewing-factory), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BESTSELLER invests in automated sewing robots (SoftWear $20M Series B1)](https://bestseller.com/news/bestseller-invests-in-automated-sewing-robots), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Brightpoint AI — DefectGuard AI-powered garment defect detection](https://www.brightpoint.ai/post/ai-powered-garment-defect-detection-for-quality-control-and-cost-savings), accessed 2026-06-05
- [MDPI Textiles — AI driving innovation in textile defect detection (2025)](https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7248/5/2/12), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.