Industrial Sewing Machine Operators

(NOC 9446)

in All Manufacturing and Utilities

Industrial sewing machine operators use sewing machines to sew fabric, fur, leather or synthetic materials to make or repair clothes and other items. They work for clothing, footwear, textile products, fur products and other manufacturing companies and by furriers.

Job Outlook

Average

Read more

  • Estimate Decline employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 55 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2022

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

  • Estimate 435 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 1945 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$14.50

Minimum

$17.00

Median

$20.20

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,288

Minimum

$20,715

Median

$33,611

Maximum

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

Hourly Pay

$14.00

Minimum

$20.80

Median

$33.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$6,056

Minimum

$30,111

Median

$70,518

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Industrial sewing machine operators use sewing machines to sew fabric, fur, leather or synthetic materials to make or repair clothes and other items. They work for clothing, footwear, textile products, fur products and other manufacturing companies and by furriers.

Job duties

Industrial Sewing Machine Operators:

  • Assemble pieces of clothes by matching patterns and dye lots.
  • Use single, double or multi-needle sergers, flat bed felling, banding and other sewing machines, to join sections of clothes or other items into finished products on a piecework or production basis.
  • Use fur sewing machines to join fur pelt strips to required size and shape and join pelts into clothing sections or shells.
  • Use stitching machines to sew leather parts together for leather clothes, handbags, shoes and other leather pieces.
  • Use serging machines to sew and overcast edges of material at the same time.
  • Use tackers, pocketsetters, buttonhole makers and fusing, hemmer and other machines to carry out various tasks in the production of clothes and other items.
  • Examine clothes and use sewing machines, sergers and other machines to repair clothes and other items during the manufacturing process.
  • Complete production reports.
  • May carry out minor maintenance and repairs on sewing machine.

Sample job titles

  • fur sewing machine operator
  • leather products sewing machine operator
  • lining stitcher
  • sample sewer
  • serging machine operator
  • sewing machine operator
  • shoe sewer

Skills

  • You should be responsible, alert, and in good physical health. Coordination, agility, and mechanical skills are important. You must also be able to take direction and carry out instructions given by a supervisor.

Job requirements

  • Some high school is usually required.
  • Experience using a sewing machine is usually required.
  • On-the-job training may be provided.

Other considerations

  • Shift work may be typical for many of these jobs. Industrial sewing machine operators may move to supervisor positions with experience.

By the numbers

Quick look

340

employed in 2016

76.8%

employed full-time

10.1%

self employed

92.8%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
7.2%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
51.4

median age

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

15,275

employed in 2016

83.2%

employed full-time

3.2%

self employed

27.6%
Icons/female Created with Sketch.
72.4%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
44.7

median age

Where will I likely work?

63.6%

North Shore

$21,041 median annual income
24.2%

Halifax

$13,597 median annual income
9.1%

Annapolis Valley

N/A
3.0%

Southern

N/A

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

87.7%

Manufacturing

5.3%

Wholesale trade

3.5%

Retail trade

3.5%

Construction

What is the age of Employment?

26.0%

55-64

26.0%

45-54

18.0%

35-44

13.0%

25-34

9.0%

15-24

7.0%

65+

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

24.5%

45-54

20.8%

55-64

19.3%

35-44

16.5%

25-34

15.0%

15-24

Top levels of education

46.4%

High school

$23,080 median annual income
18.8%

College Diploma

$15,600 median annual income
18.8%

Less than high school

$20,709 median annual income
10.1%

Trade Certification

$20,077 median annual income
4.3%

Bachelor

N/A

Compared to: All Manufacturing and Utilities

38.1%

High school

$28,505 median annual income
23.3%

Less than high school

$19,224 median annual income
19.9%

College Diploma

$38,781 median annual income
12.2%

Trade Certification

$43,975 median annual income
4.5%

Bachelor

$39,715 median annual income

Education & training

High School Diploma or Equivalent

High School Program

Adults without a high school diploma can contact the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning (NSSAL) for tuition-free programming across the province. NSSAL oversees adult education programs in Nova Scotia. NSSAL partners with the Nova Scotia Community College, Adult High Schools, Université Sainte-Anne, and community-based learning organizations to deliver programs. NSSAL offers clear, accessible pathways from adult basic education to a high school credential or GED.

Institutions providing this program

Universite Sainte-Anne

Pointe-de-l'Église, NS

Nova Scotia Community College

Various, NS

Adult High Schools

Various, NS

Community Learning Organizations

Various, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

No regulating bodies were found under this occupation profile

Contacts

Canadian Textile Industry Association
Ottawa, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.