Sewing Machine Operators Salary
The median pay for a sewing machine operators in Tucson, AZ is $41,660/year ($20.03/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.9), that's roughly $42,993 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,402/month, about 48.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in Tucson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tucson’s Regional Price Parity (96.9). 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 Tucson
Tucson sits well above the national pay line for sewing machine operators, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,402/month, which is 48.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.9) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sewing machine operators in metros near Tucson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $41K | $40K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $37K | $33K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $39K | $35K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $45K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tucson, AZ
Entry-level sewing machine operators (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $12K 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 Tucson numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sewing machine operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tucson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 48.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,402/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Tucson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sewing machine operators typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,933/month. At HUD’s $1,402/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Tucson?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $42K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Tucson compare to the national average for sewing machine operators?
Tucson pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sewing machine operators make in Tucson, AZ?
The median is $41,660 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,220, and experienced sewing machine operators can clear $43,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Tucson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,873/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,402/month, which eats 48.8% 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 Tucson?
Tucson has a Regional Price Parity of 96.9 (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 $42,993 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.