SOC 51-6031 · Fort Wayne, IN metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Fort Wayne, IN

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Fort Wayne, Indiana is $38,960 a year ($18.73 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,090: half of the 220 people in this job in the Fort Wayne, IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).

$38,960average per year

$18.73 / hourMedian $37,090Take-home ≈ $31,742

  • $31K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

220people in this job
+4%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 8Indiana metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Fort Wayne

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,950 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,800 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Fort Wayne earn between $36,200 and $44,020.

  • $31K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $44K75th
  • $48K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,960$3,247$18.73
Median$37,090$3,091$17.83
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,200$3,017$17.40
Experienced (75th percentile)$44,020$3,668$21.16

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

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Fort Wayne

On the average salary of $38,960, a single filer in Fort Wayne takes home about $31,742 a year, or $2,645 a month and $1,221 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Fort Wayne's local income tax (1.59%).

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Fort Wayne area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.6), so the average $38,960 buys what about $42,086 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Wayne ($47,700). A typical home costs $259,816, or 6.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,960 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Indiana cities

Fort Wayne ranks 3rd of 8 Indiana metro areas for this job; Evansville pays the most ($41,240).

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in Indiana

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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Sewing Machine Operators in Fort Wayne, IN.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Fort Wayne: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Fort Wayne?

$18.73 an hour on average, and $17.83 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,950 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,200, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $31,742 a year ($2,645 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,960. Includes Fort Wayne's local income tax (1.59%).

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Fort Wayne than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% 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 Fort Wayne, IN (23060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
  • 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). Includes Fort Wayne's local income tax (1.59%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.44, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.