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Weaver: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$39,530median pay per year, or $19.01 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $29,960lowest 10% earn less
  2. $36,39025th percentile
  3. $39,530median
  4. $45,22075th percentile
  5. $49,130top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Textile knitting and weaving machine workers, the BLS category that covers weaver jobs, had a median pay of $39,530 a year[1]. Employment is projected to fall 13.7% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-13.7%[2]
Openings per year
1,300[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do weavers make?

The BLS category is Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. In May 2025 the median pay was $39,530 a year, or $19.01 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $40,720 a year, or $19.58 an hour[7].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,960 a year, and the 25th percentile was $36,390[3]. The 75th percentile was $45,220 and the 90th was $49,130[3]. In hourly terms, the 10th percentile was $14.40 and the 90th was $23.62[8]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages rather than a starting salary[9].

For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[4]. The median for this group was lower than that[1][4].

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include benefits or nonproduction bonuses[10].

Pay by state and city

Among the 25 states with published data, New York had the highest median at $49,570, followed by New Hampshire at $48,440 and Maine at $48,350[11]. Tennessee had the lowest median in the list at $33,550[11]. Some of the higher-paying states have few jobs. New York had 230 jobs and New Hampshire had 70[11].

The most jobs are in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Georgia had 3,550 jobs, North Carolina had 2,730 and South Carolina had 1,500[12]. Alabama had 770 and California had 590[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington had the highest median at $45,580, followed by Chattanooga at $44,880[13]. Dalton, GA had the most jobs at 1,220, with a median of $39,840[14]. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell had 820 jobs[14].

Show median pay in 25 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
New York[11]$49,570230
New Hampshire$48,44070
Maine$48,350160
Washington$48,220110
Minnesota$46,43050
Wisconsin$45,610150
Pennsylvania$45,580510
Ohio$45,04060
California$44,530590
Massachusetts$44,190180
Illinois$42,95070
Georgia$40,9303,550
South Carolina$39,7601,500
Virginia$39,470580
Rhode Island$38,760250
Michigan$38,12090
Alabama$37,340770
Indiana$37,16050
Louisiana$36,86060
New Jersey$36,85060
North Carolina$36,7002,730
Mississippi$35,370110
Texas$34,790170
Iowa$33,73070
Tennessee$33,550380

How to become a weaver

The facts point to a short route in.

In an ONET survey of 22 workers, 95% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required, and 5% said less than a high school diploma[15]. The survey is small, so treat it as a rough picture. ONET places the job in a group needing very little to some preparation[16].

What weavers do

O*NET describes the work as setting up, running or tending machines that knit, loop, weave or draw textiles[17]. Typical tasks include:

Sample job titles from workers include knitting machine operator, loom fixer and tufting machine operator[19].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 13.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 13,900 to 12,000 jobs[2]. That compares with projected growth of 3.5% for all occupations[20]. These counts include self-employed workers[2], and 5% of workers in this group were self-employed in 2025[21].

Even with fewer jobs, BLS expects about 1,300 openings a year on average[5]. Openings include jobs left by workers who switch to other occupations, and new jobs are included too[5]. Each year 6.3% of workers leave the labor force and 5.6% move to a different occupation[22].

OEWS counted about 13,030 wage and salary jobs in May 2025[23]. This differs from the projection count because the projection count includes the self-employed[2].

Is it a good fit?

The entry path is short. It asks for a high school diploma or equivalent, no related experience and short-term on-the-job training[6]. Pay is below the all-occupations median, though the middle half of workers earned between $36,390 and $45,220[1][3][4]. The most jobs are in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina[12]. Employment is projected to shrink, so anyone weighing this job should check what work exists nearby[2]. Related jobs such as sewing machine operators also show projected declines[24].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[24].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a weaver make an hour?
The median was $19.01 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $19.58[1][7].
What education do you need to be a weaver?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, with no related experience and short-term on-the-job training[6].
Is weaving a growing field?
No. BLS projects employment to decline 13.7% from 2025 to 2035, while all occupations are projected to grow 3.5%[2][20].
Which state has the most weaver jobs?
Georgia had the most jobs at 3,550, followed by North Carolina at 2,730[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US was $39,530 per year and $19.01 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is projected to decline 13.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 13,900 to 12,000 jobs (a change of -1,900). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: 10th percentile $29,960, 25th percentile $36,390, 75th percentile $45,220, 90th percentile $49,130. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 1,300 openings for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $40,720 per year and $19.58 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: 10th percentile $14.40, 25th percentile $17.50, 75th percentile $21.74, 90th percentile $23.62. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Median annual wage for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders jobs: Georgia 3,550; North Carolina 2,730; South Carolina 1,500; Alabama 770; California 590. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (areas with at least 100 jobs): Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $45,580; Chattanooga, TN-GA $44,880; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $44,790; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $44,530; Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $42,500; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $41,350; Spartanburg, SC $40,280; Dalton, GA $39,840. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders jobs: Dalton, GA 1,220 (median $39,840); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 820 (median $44,790); Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 530 (median $39,760); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 530 (median $44,530); Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 490 (median $39,530); Greensboro-High Point, NC 460 (median $36,730). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. O*NET 51-6063.00 survey of workers (22 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 95%, Less than a High School Diploma 5% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  16. O*NET 51-6063.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 51-6063.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Knitter, Knitting Machine Operator, Loom Fixer, Machine Operator, Operator, Tufting Machine Operator, Tufting Operator, Warp Knit Operator. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections: 5% of Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: 6.3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  23. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 13,030 people were employed as Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  24. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.