Sewing Machine Operators pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,490 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,880 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in San Diego earn between $36,690 and $42,140.
- $35K10th
- $37K25th
- $39KMedian
- $42K75th
- $48K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $40,820 | $3,402 | $19.62 |
| Median | $39,070 | $3,256 | $18.78 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,690 | $3,058 | $17.64 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $42,140 | $3,512 | $20.26 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $40,820, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $34,210 a year, or $2,851 a month and $1,316 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Diego a good place for sewing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $40,820 buys what about $36,483 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 23.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Sewing Machine Operators salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 13th of 17 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($47,860).
- San Jose$47,860
- Santa Cruz$47,460
- San Francisco$46,380
- Napa$44,590
- Stockton$43,670
- Oxnard$42,660
- San Luis Obispo$42,480
- Sacramento$42,310
- Merced$42,110
- San Diego$40,820
Highest-paying cities for sewing machine operators
Appleton, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($51,830).
- Appleton, WI$51,830
- Bend, OR$47,980
- San Jose, CA$47,860
- Santa Cruz, CA$47,460
- San Francisco, CA$46,380
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Sewing Machine Operators salary in San Diego: questions
How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in San Diego?
$19.63 an hour on average, and $18.79 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level sewing machine operators salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,490 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,690, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the sewing machine operators take-home pay in San Diego?
About $34,210 a year ($2,851 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,820. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do sewing machine operators earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).
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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
- 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 state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.79, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.79).
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