Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
In Tennessee, textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders earn $33,550 at the median, or about $16.13 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $37,369 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 50.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $34K get you in Tennessee?
About textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Pay for textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders in Tennessee runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 50.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenderss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tennessee
Entry-level textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by metro in Tennessee
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | $45K | +34% | 220 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 50.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/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 textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders in Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,675/month. At HUD’s $1,215/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 textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tender a high-paying job in Tennessee?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $34K here vs. $40K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Tennessee pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders make in Tennessee?
The median is $33,550 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,920, and experienced textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders can clear $46,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,416/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 50.3% 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 textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders salary go in Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (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 textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders salary is worth about $37,369 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders 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.