Sewing Machine Operators pay in North Carolina
$36,250avg. a year
$17.43 an hour · 8,290 employed
Sewing Machine Operators in North Carolina earn an average of $36,250 a year. That is $1,350 (4%) less than the U.S. average of $37,600. The best-paying metro area is Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC at $44,600.
$35,160Median pay
$17.43Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
#36Of 50 states
Top-paying North Carolina metro areas
Average pay for sewing machine operators by metro area. Swipe to see all 14.
11,860 jobs
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
$44,600
$21.44 an hour
2300 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$36,420
$17.51 an hour
3320 jobs
Asheville, NC
$36,250
$17.43 an hour
41,640 jobs
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
$35,780
$17.20 an hour
5320 jobs
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$35,420
$17.03 an hour
61,460 jobs
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$34,670
$16.67 an hour
7450 jobs
Winston-Salem, NC
$33,750
$16.23 an hour
870 jobs
Greenville, NC
$33,550
$16.13 an hour
9110 jobs
Wilmington, NC
$32,910
$15.82 an hour
10340 jobs
Raleigh-Cary, NC
$32,500
$15.63 an hour
11150 jobs
Fayetteville, NC
$32,100
$15.44 an hour
12180 jobs
Burlington, NC
$31,560
$15.17 an hour
13100 jobs
Rocky Mount, NC
$30,700
$14.76 an hour
14130 jobs
Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC
$29,590
$14.23 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 North Carolina, charted
Pay over time
North Carolina, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where North Carolina sewing machine operators work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · North Carolina highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $36k$36k–$38k$38k–$41k$41k+North Carolina
North Carolina vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $37,600 | $18.08 |
| North Carolina | $36,250 | $17.43 |
| South Carolina | $37,820 | $18.19 |
| Virginia | $36,550 | $17.57 |
| Georgia | $34,510 | $16.59 |
| Tennessee | $33,760 | $16.23 |
Related jobs in North Carolina
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers$32,410
- Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$36,920
- Upholsterers$53,890
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$37,240
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers$44,350
- Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials$30,470
Average pay, North Carolina, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do sewing machine operators make in North Carolina?
The average is $36,250 a year, and the median is $35,160. That is $1,350 (4%) less than the U.S. average of $37,600.
What is the hourly wage in North Carolina?
$17.43 an hour on average; the median is $16.91.
Where in North Carolina do they earn the most?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC ($44,600), followed by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC ($36,420). The lowest average among 14 metro areas with data is Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC ($29,590).
How does North Carolina rank?
North Carolina ranks #36 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.