SOC 51-6031 · Cleveland, TN metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Cleveland, TN

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Cleveland, Tennessee is $33,720 a year ($16.21 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,400: half of the 50 people in this job in the Cleveland, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($37,600).

$33,720average per year

$16.21 / hourMedian $36,400Take-home ≈ $29,274

  • $22K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

50people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#6 of 9Tennessee metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Cleveland

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,480 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,730 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Cleveland earn between $29,190 and $39,010.

  • $22K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$33,720$2,810$16.21
Median$36,400$3,033$17.50
Entry level (25th percentile)$29,190$2,432$14.03
Experienced (75th percentile)$39,010$3,251$18.75

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Sewing Machine Operators pay in Cleveland vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Sewing machine operators in Cleveland earn about the same as the Tennessee average ($33,760) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($37,600). At the median the gap is -1% against the U.S. median of $36,670.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cleveland$33,720$36,400$22,480$43,73050
Tennessee$33,760$34,220$19,130$46,8003,300
United States$37,600$36,670$27,860$47,840104,880

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Cleveland

On the average salary of $33,720, a single filer in Cleveland takes home about $29,274 a year, or $2,440 a month and $1,126 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Cleveland a good place for sewing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cleveland area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.1), so the average $33,720 buys what about $38,283 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Cleveland ($40,230). A typical home costs $312,380, or 9.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $33,720 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Tennessee cities

Cleveland ranks 6th of 9 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($36,980).

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for sewing machine operators

Appleton, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($51,830).

Sewing Machine Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Sewing Machine Operators in Cleveland, TN.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Cleveland: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Cleveland?

$16.21 an hour on average, and $17.50 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level sewing machine operators salary in Cleveland?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,480 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,190, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the sewing machine operators take-home pay in Cleveland?

About $29,274 a year ($2,440 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,720. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Cleveland than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($37,600).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-6031; area Cleveland, TN (17420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.55, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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