Sewing Machine Operators pay in California
$41,060avg. a year
$19.74 an hour · 13,240 employed
Sewing Machine Operators in California earn an average of $41,060 a year. That is $3,460 (9%) more than the U.S. average of $37,600. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $47,860.
$37,940Median pay
$19.74Average hourly
+33%Avg. pay since 2020
#14Of 50 states
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for sewing machine operators by metro area. Swipe to see all 17.
1220 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$47,860
$23.01 an hour
240 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$47,460
$22.82 an hour
3740 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$46,380
$22.30 an hour
430 jobs
Napa, CA
$44,590
$21.44 an hour
5120 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$43,670
$20.99 an hour
6180 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$42,660
$20.51 an hour
780 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$42,480
$20.42 an hour
8190 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$42,310
$20.34 an hour
930 jobs
Merced, CA
$42,110
$20.25 an hour
10160 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$41,780
$20.09 an hour
1180 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$41,090
$19.76 an hour
12730 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$41,040
$19.73 an hour
13820 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$40,820
$19.63 an hour
149,310 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$40,340
$19.40 an hour
1590 jobs
Fresno, CA
$39,630
$19.05 an hour
1630 jobs
Modesto, CA
$39,500
$18.99 an hour
1750 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$39,470
$18.98 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Sewing Machine Operators pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California sewing machine operators work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $36k$36k–$38k$38k–$41k$41k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $37,600 | $18.08 |
| California | $41,060 | $19.74 |
| Nevada | $44,590 | $21.44 |
| Oregon | $42,260 | $20.32 |
| Arizona | $41,270 | $19.84 |
Related jobs in California
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$39,750
- Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials$40,320
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers$49,200
- Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers, All Other$40,070
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$43,470
- Upholsterers$50,040
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do sewing machine operators make in California?
The average is $41,060 a year, and the median is $37,940. That is $3,460 (9%) more than the U.S. average of $37,600.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$19.74 an hour on average; the median is $18.24.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($47,860), followed by Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($47,460). The lowest average among 17 metro areas with data is Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($39,470).
How does California rank?
California ranks #14 of 50 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-6031. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national sewing machine operators page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.