AI Career Radar

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.

AI exposure34 / 100Low exposure

Based on O*NET work context for this occupation. This score does not predict individual job losses.

What drives the score

Automation and repetition raise exposure; freedom to set tasks lowers it. Each measure uses a 0–100 scale.

Degree of automation22
Freedom to set tasks57
Repeating the same tasks40
$36,670Median annual wage, U.S.BLS OEWS
-15.1%Jobs, 2025 to 2035 (decline)BLS Employment Projections
37Skill durability (fragile)Transferability, out of 100

How well your skills transfer

Each skill is scored on how well it transfers into occupations that are growing and less exposed. The ones high on both importance and transfer are worth deepening.

Highest transferability first

Both scores out of 100

Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Monitoring
63
53
Active Listening
63
44
Critical Thinking
63
44
Judgment and Decision Making
63
44
Speaking
63
28
Complex Problem Solving
62
44
Coordination
62
38
Active Learning
62
28
Time Management
61
44
Reading Comprehension
61
41
Show 25 more skills
Skills ranked by transferability. Both scores use a 0–100 scale.
SkillTransferabilityImportance in current role
Social Perceptiveness
60
35
Writing
60
25
Learning Strategies
58
28
Instructing
58
25
Systems Analysis
57
22
Systems Evaluation
56
22
Service Orientation
56
19
Persuasion
54
19
Mathematics
53
25
Negotiation
52
19
Science
52
0
Management of Personnel Resources
50
19
Operations Analysis
49
16
Installation
48
0
Quality Control Analysis
47
44
Troubleshooting
47
28
Equipment Maintenance
47
25
Management of Financial Resources
47
19
Management of Material Resources
47
19
Equipment Selection
47
13
Technology Design
47
0
Operations Monitoring
46
44
Repairing
46
22
Programming
45
0
Operation and Control
43
41

Compare how well you can use each skill in growing, low-exposure occupations with its importance in your current role. How we score skills.

Jobs you could move to

Compare related occupations by skill overlap, retraining effort, pay and projected growth. Choose a priority to adjust the ranking. Licensing requirements may limit some routes.

79/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$53,140
10-yr growth
+36.5%
Skill gap
36%
Retraining
High

Skills to build: Installation, Active Learning, Troubleshooting, Critical Thinking

#2TapersSkilled Trades
77/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$68,270
10-yr growth
-1.6%
Skill gap
7%
Retraining
Low
#3Tire BuildersProduction & Transport
77/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$57,390
10-yr growth
+0.8%
Skill gap
10%
Retraining
Low

Skills to build: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking

#4Massage TherapistsHealthcare Support
76/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$58,450
10-yr growth
+15.3%
Skill gap
24%
Retraining
Moderate

Skills to build: Speaking, Service Orientation, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness

#6PaperhangersSkilled Trades
76/100 match
Median pay · U.S.
$52,140
10-yr growth
+4.3%
Skill gap
12%
Retraining
Low

Skills to build: Speaking, Coordination, Active Listening

A second source of income, before you need it

This page can tell you where Sewing Machine Operators could go and what the move costs. The other route is not a move at all: something small of your own, running alongside the job, started while there is no pressure on it.

Where to learn the missing half: Google Career Certificates for systems analysis · active learning, LinkedIn Learning for writing · speaking, edX for mathematics · reading and PlanetNoCode for complex problem solving. Some of those are affiliate links. It never changes what we list.

Snapshot: O*NET 31.0, BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035. Scoring v2.1.0-onet-31.0. Method on the how it works page.