Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 51-6061 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$38,189
$18.36/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders is $38,189 per year ($18.36/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $35,693 and $45,282 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $48,090 per year. There are approximately 5,310 textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate or tend machines to bleach, shrink, wash, dye, or finish textiles or synthetic or glass fibers.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-10.1%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
700
per year, on avg
Workforce today
6K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills
NAICS 313300
3K
$37,810
Fabric Mills
NAICS 313200
950
$37,700
Textile Furnishings Mills
NAICS 314100
300
$44,940
Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills
NAICS 313100
260
$38,960
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing
NAICS 316100
180
$46,530
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,700 to $46,530 (23% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$14.57
$30,306
P25
$17.16
$35,693
P50MEDIAN
$18.36
$38,189
P75
$21.77
$45,282
P90
$23.12
$48,090
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders salary?
The national median salary for Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders is $38,189 per year ($18.36/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $35,693 and $45,282 annually.
How much do top-earning textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders make?
The 90th percentile salary for Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders is $48,090 per year ($23.12/hr). The 75th percentile is $45,282 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for textile bleaching and dyeing machine operators and tenders?
Entry-level Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders (10th percentile) earn approximately $30,306 per year ($14.57/hr). The 25th percentile is $35,693 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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