Set yarn tension and speed
First, you read the pattern or spec sheet, then set yarn tension and machine speed to match.
Career profile
Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Operator
Knitting and weaving machine operators keep yarn feeding into machines that make cloth.
As the cloth forms, you watch for flaws and work out which setting change will bring the machine back to making good fabric.
A day in the life
Thread fine yarn through guides
Following the pattern, you pull fine yarn through the bars and guides with careful hand-eye control.
Catch a flaw before it repeats
Study cloth as it leaves the machine, and if it's wrong, change settings, then inspect a trial piece.
Find why a loom stopped
Search a stopped loom for snapped yarn or mechanical trouble, then report any needed repair to a technician.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$39,530 median
United States · 2025
13.7% decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingTypical entry combines a high school diploma or equivalent with short-term on-the-job training.
Pay
$39,530 medianAbout $19.01 an hour; national 2025 wages for textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders.
Outlook
13.7% declineEmployment is projected to shrink during 2025–2035, with about 1,300 openings per year across the occupation.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You notice small breaks in a repeating pattern.
- You enjoy precise work with your hands.
- You want to understand why a machine keeps stopping.
Things to weigh
- Expect noisy surroundings, substantial standing and walking, and a pace tied to the machines.
- Some knitting jobs run evening or overnight shifts, which can shape your sleep and social schedule.
Where AI may help
Automated equipment can draw yarn through loom parts during setup, taking over some repetitive threading work.
What people still lead
Workers still identify cloth faults and trace mechanical problems so the right repair gets made.
What we can’t predict yet
How much threading becomes automated—and how much of your shift moves toward troubleshooting—will depend on the equipment a mill adopts.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $39,530 a year, or $19.01 an hour. It includes setters and tenders as well as operators, and is not a starting-pay promise.
The national spread
In 2025, the lowest-paid 10% earned $29,960 or less annually; the highest-paid 10% earned $49,130 or more. These are wage percentiles, not beginner and experienced pay levels.
Training and shifts can affect pay
At Darlington Fabrics in Rhode Island, threader pay increases during training, and second and third shifts carry extra hourly pay. Ask which increases and shift premiums apply to the job you are considering.
Openings in a shrinking occupation
The 2025–2035 projection combines a 13.7% employment decline with about 1,300 openings annually as workers leave or change occupations. Openings do not mean the workforce is growing.
Getting started
Start as an operator trainee
- What the route involves
- Look for an operator role with workplace training. Learn machine controls and fabric checks from an experienced worker.
- What it can lead to
- You build the skills to tend production machines and recognize when their settings need adjustment.
Begin with machine threading
Paid
- What the route involves
- Learn to thread knitting machines in a role offering training. Reading, simple arithmetic, and precise hand-eye work matter.
- What it can lead to
- You gain a focused machine-preparation skill while earning pay.
A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical educational starting point. Training usually happens on the job; related experience is not typically required.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get consistent
Build reliable threading habits and learn to recognize common fabric faults.
Handle setup changes
Learn to adjust settings, verify them with test runs, and record what worked.
Move toward loom repair
Some plants train experienced weavers for technician roles. At Milliken's Kingsley plant, senior-operator and relief-weaving proficiency come before technician classroom training and practice on the job.
Where you can work
Knitting mills
Machine preparation can mean handling fine yarn through guide and needle bars, with repeated reaching and long periods on your feet. Evening and overnight schedules are possible.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Physical demands
Air-jet weaving plants
You work around looms and coordinate with technicians when fabric defects or machine faults appear. Some plants use rotating shifts, so your working hours can change.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Physical demands
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Weave paper strips over and under a second set of strips. Deliberately skip one crossing, then inspect the pattern to find it. Notice whether tracing and correcting a small defect holds your attention.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: 51-6063.00. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Darlington Fabrics. Knitting Machine Threader. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Milliken & Company. Kingsley Plant Weave Flag Technician. Accessed 2026-10-04.
- Groz-Beckert. Weaving — System provider for the weaving industry. Accessed 2026-10-04.