Textile Cutting Machine Operator

Explore This Path

Perfect for those who love precision and working with textiles.
Ensure high-quality textile products that meet industry standards.
Use advanced cutting technology to shape the future of fashion.

💰 Earn $36K-$43K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 MONTH TRAINING

📈 -11.7% JOB GROWTH

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What You’ll Do

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut textiles.

Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters, or computer numerically controlled cutting devices.
Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products.
Record information about work completed and machine settings.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Risky (Decreasing by 5% or more)

Training Time

6 months to 1 year

Job Openings

1,000 Annually

Median Earnings

$37,250 in California

$36,620 Nationally

$25K

$50K

$75K

$100K

$125K

$150K

$175K

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$250K

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Critical Thinking
Equipment Maintenance
Monitoring
Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring

You value 🙏

Having support
Job security
Personal relationships

Deep Dive

Textile Cutting Machine Operator

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Strategic Employment

Strategic employment provides individuals with valuable work experience, opportunities for professional growth and networking, and exposure to an industry where they may want to pursue advancement.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 1-3 years

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Workforce Development Program

A workforce development program typically enhances participants' opportunities to succeed in the workforce through employment skill-building, career counseling, connections to employers, and pathways to high-demand and high-wage jobs.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship typically offers a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction, leading to practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the potential for long-term employment in a specific trade or profession.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-5 years