Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: Spinner, Twister Operator, Winder Operator, Winder TenderSet up, operate, or tend machines that wind or twist textiles; or draw out and combine sliver, such as wool, hemp, or synthetic fibers. Includes slubber machine and drawing frame operators.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 23 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 10.3% 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 97% 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 | $40,210 | $35,790 to $41,850 | 1,060 |
| California | $43,770 | $38,520 to $46,520 | 360 |
| Colorado | $37,540 | $37,540 to $37,540 | 90 |
| Connecticut | $44,020 | $37,610 to $45,280 | 40 |
| Florida | $36,160 | $32,760 to $40,120 | 70 |
| Georgia | $38,930 | $37,160 to $39,900 | 8,830 |
| Illinois | $36,950 | $34,220 to $44,560 | 180 |
| Indiana | $40,630 | $37,060 to $47,190 | 230 |
| Louisiana | $49,690 | $35,430 to $49,690 | 110 |
| Maine | $40,870 | $40,420 to $42,490 | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $40,270 | $37,620 to $44,740 | 170 |
| Michigan | $36,540 | $34,310 to $39,420 | 130 |
| Mississippi | $37,460 | $32,220 to $66,720 | 80 |
| Missouri | $39,350 | $37,940 to $42,600 | not published |
| Nebraska | $36,760 | $36,760 to $36,920 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $49,190 | $49,190 to $60,590 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $47,230 | $39,630 to $48,520 | 100 |
| New York | $37,220 | $32,670 to $46,020 | 160 |
| North Carolina | $36,580 | $32,580 to $38,570 | 4,190 |
| Ohio | $38,160 | $33,330 to $51,830 | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,830 | $31,670 to $42,870 | 500 |
| Rhode Island | $37,400 | $36,650 to $41,340 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $38,280 | $36,500 to $42,070 | 2,240 |
| Tennessee | $46,720 | $35,680 to $60,370 | 470 |
| Virginia | $50,770 | $40,080 to $57,280 | 1,530 |
| Washington | $47,560 | $39,630 to $48,870 | 250 |
Nationally: $38,670. 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 3 of its 23 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Notify supervisors or mechanics of equipment malfunctions. | Not published |
| Not much | Start machines, monitor operation, and make adjustments as needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Stop machines when specified amount of products has been produced. | Not published |
| Not much | Tend machines that twist together two or more strands of yarn or insert additional twists into single strands of yarn to increase strength, smoothness, or uniformity of yarn. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Thread yarn, thread, or fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines. | Not published |
See all 23 tasks
| Not much | Inspect products to verify that they meet specifications and to determine whether machine adjustment is needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate machines for test runs to verify adjustments and to obtain product samples. | Not published |
| Not much | Replace depleted supply packages with full packages. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record production data such as numbers and types of bobbins wound. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe operations to detect defects, malfunctions, or supply shortages. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove spindles from machines and bobbins from spindles. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust machine settings such as speed or tension to produce products that meet specifications. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe bobbins as they are winding and cut threads to remove loaded bobbins, using knives. | Not published |
| Not much | Tend spinning frames that draw out and twist roving or sliver into yarn. | Not published |
| Not much | Unwind lengths of yarn, thread, or twine from spools and wind onto bobbins. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair or replace worn or defective parts or components, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Place bobbins on spindles and insert spindles into bobbin-winding machines. | Not published |
| AI + software | Study guides, samples, charts, and specification sheets, or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine setup requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, oil, and lubricate machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oilcans, and grease guns. | Not published |
| Not much | Install, level, and align machine components such as gears, chains, guides, dies, cutters, or needles to set up machinery for operation. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure bobbins periodically, using gauges, and turn screws to adjust tension if bobbins are not of specified size. | Not published |
| Not much | Tend machines with multiple winding units that wind thread onto shuttle bobbins for use on sewing machines or other kinds of bobbins for sole-stitching, knitting, or weaving machinery. | 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. 0 of the 23 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 23 tasks fall under 21 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
| 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 | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Set up equipment | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems |
Show all 21 activities
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Remove workpieces from production equipment |
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 winding, twisting, and drawing out 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 9,331 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 2%
- 3 Self-Enrichment Teachers High +3.5% 2%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 2%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 7,217 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers High +5.4% 3%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 4 Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop High +3.4% 2%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 2%
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
- 54% less than high school
- 46% 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
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
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
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (MACHINE FIXER (Textile)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” there.
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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