Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: Cutter, Cutter Operator, Fabric Cutter, SpreaderSet up, operate, or tend machines that cut textiles.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 5 of its 18 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 13.6% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 4.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Textile machine setters, operators, and tenders”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.4 hires for every 10 job openings in nondurable goods manufacturing, which employs about 69% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.8.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,000 | $30,380 to $39,350 | 160 |
| Arizona | $37,460 | $37,440 to $38,850 | 100 |
| Arkansas | $29,140 | $27,970 to $34,550 | 40 |
| California | $38,870 | $37,160 to $45,950 | 750 |
| Colorado | $36,870 | $35,230 to $46,570 | 30 |
| Connecticut | $47,160 | $37,580 to $47,770 | 50 |
| Florida | $35,680 | $30,980 to $38,330 | 450 |
| Georgia | $39,840 | $34,230 to $45,220 | 1,560 |
| Hawaii | $45,760 | $45,760 to $55,370 | not published |
| Illinois | $38,600 | $37,060 to $39,240 | 230 |
| Indiana | $41,740 | $37,950 to $45,830 | 70 |
| Iowa | $30,060 | $28,350 to $43,550 | 70 |
| Kansas | $35,930 | $30,000 to $38,860 | 40 |
| Kentucky | $31,040 | $27,510 to $32,700 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $37,490 | $33,710 to $45,760 | not published |
| Maryland | $34,890 | $33,350 to $37,020 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $43,680 | $37,300 to $46,450 | 380 |
| Michigan | $37,280 | $34,660 to $38,530 | 100 |
| Minnesota | $41,480 | $36,730 to $51,730 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $37,600 | $35,350 to $39,740 | 400 |
| Missouri | $30,540 | $28,600 to $35,200 | 170 |
| Nevada | $28,630 | $28,270 to $35,560 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $45,930 | $45,930 to $51,600 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $40,780 | $38,520 to $46,440 | 120 |
| New York | $46,810 | $42,780 to $56,810 | 170 |
| North Carolina | $43,460 | $36,180 to $48,450 | 840 |
| Ohio | $41,600 | $39,430 to $43,680 | 370 |
| Oklahoma | $37,110 | $29,910 to $38,160 | 50 |
| Oregon | $38,460 | $38,460 to $46,670 | 90 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,690 | $36,510 to $40,470 | 230 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,880 | $22,050 to $25,480 | 100 |
| Rhode Island | $40,000 | $37,690 to $46,020 | 30 |
| South Carolina | $41,740 | $36,080 to $49,390 | 480 |
| Tennessee | $36,710 | $30,600 to $40,130 | 320 |
| Texas | $30,160 | $27,360 to $36,390 | 680 |
| Virginia | $34,410 | $30,060 to $40,010 | 50 |
| Washington | $45,380 | $41,220 to $48,280 | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $39,630 | $35,140 to $46,810 | 130 |
Nationally: $38,760. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 5 of its 18 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met. | Not published |
| Not much | Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed. | Not published |
| AI + software | Notify supervisors of mechanical malfunctions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Record information about work completed and machine settings. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair or replace worn or defective parts or components, using hand tools. | Not published |
See all 18 tasks
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, oil, and lubricate machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oilcans, and grease guns. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust cutting techniques to types of fabrics and styles of garments. | Not published |
| Not much | Thread yarn, thread, or fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Stop machines when specified amounts of product have been produced. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate machines for test runs to verify adjustments and to obtain product samples. | Not published |
| Not much | Install, level, and align components, such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles, to set up machinery for operation. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study guides, samples, charts, and specification sheets or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine set-up requirements. | Not published |
| AI + software | Program electronic equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate machines to cut multiple layers of fabric into parts for articles such as canvas goods, house furnishings, garments, hats, or stuffed toys. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 18 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 18 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #31 Program computer systems or production equipment
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate cutting or grinding equipment | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Program computer systems or production equipment | |||
| Set up equipment | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems |
Show all 18 activities
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An email or message20%
- A document or report16%
- An analysis or summary8%
- An explanation or answer4%
- A script or snippet4%
How they worked with Claude
82% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,331 moves out
- 1 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 12%
- 2 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 11%
- 3 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 7%
- 4 Drafters, All Other Very high -7.3% 7%
- 5 Engine and Other Machine Assemblers Low -17.0% 6%
Where people moved in from
of 1,352 moves in
- 1 Cashiers High -6.5% 9%
- 2 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 7%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 6%
- 4 Engine and Other Machine Assemblers Low -17.0% 6%
- 5 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 5%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 32% less than high school
- 68% high school
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 34% less than high school
- 31% high school
- 16% some college
- 10% associate's
- 7% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Textile machine setters, operators, and tenders” · 131 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
18.0% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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