Sewing Machine Operators Salary
The median pay for a sewing machine operators in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $34,850/year ($16.76/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $35,718 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 70.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About sewing machine operators
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Sewing machine operators pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 72.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sewing machine operators in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $47K | $53K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $35K | $36K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $32K | $35K |
| Winston-Salem | $30K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level sewing machine operators (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Sewing Machine Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sewing Machine Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $46K | +25% | 910 |
| Alaska | $44K | +20% | 40 |
| Colorado | $44K | +20% | 970 |
| Maine | $44K | +19% | 700 |
| Washington | $43K | +18% | 1,600 |
| Massachusetts | $43K | +17% | 1,540 |
| New Hampshire | $42K | +14% | 190 |
| Vermont | $41K | +11% | 220 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | +10% | 2,370 |
| Arizona | $40K | +10% | 1,420 |
| Oregon | $40K | +8% | 1,250 |
| Hawaii | $39K | +7% | 280 |
| South Dakota | $39K | +6% | 300 |
| Minnesota | $39K | +6% | 1,890 |
| Rhode Island | $39K | +5% | 270 |
| New York | $38K | +5% | 6,130 |
| Indiana | $38K | +5% | 3,400 |
| South Carolina | $38K | +4% | 2,460 |
| California | $38K | +3% | 13,240 |
| Connecticut | $38K | +3% | 480 |
| Delaware | $38K | +3% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $38K | +3% | 2,270 |
| Michigan | $37K | +2% | 3,210 |
| Idaho | $37K | +1% | 410 |
| Nebraska | $37K | +1% | 300 |
| Montana | $37K | +0% | 190 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -0% | 110 |
| Illinois | $36K | -1% | 4,060 |
| New Jersey | $36K | -1% | 2,750 |
| Iowa | $36K | -2% | 590 |
| Maryland | $36K | -2% | 1,390 |
| Virginia | $36K | -2% | 2,010 |
| Ohio | $36K | -2% | 4,100 |
| North Dakota | $36K | -3% | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -3% | 3,390 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -3% | 860 |
| Missouri | $36K | -3% | 2,320 |
| Utah | $36K | -3% | 1,020 |
| Kansas | $35K | -4% | 650 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -4% | 8,290 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -5% | 220 |
| Georgia | $35K | -5% | 3,420 |
| Tennessee | $34K | -7% | 3,300 |
| Oklahoma | $33K | -9% | 580 |
| Florida | $33K | -9% | 6,790 |
| Texas | $31K | -15% | 6,950 |
| Alabama | $31K | -16% | 2,300 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -19% | 610 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -20% | 2,750 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -20% | 180 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sewing machine operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sewing machine operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 72.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for sewing machine operators in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sewing machine operators typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,688/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 101% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sewing machine operator a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for sewing machine operators?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do sewing machine operators make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $34,850 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,130, and experienced sewing machine operators can clear $44,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,373/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 72.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a sewing machine operators salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median sewing machine operators salary is worth about $35,718 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sewing machine operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.