SOC 51-6031 · Cedar Rapids, IA metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Cedar Rapids, IA

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is $35,820 a year ($17.22 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,740: half of the 40 people in this job in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).

$35,820average per year

$17.22 / hourMedian $35,740Take-home ≈ $30,212

  • $31K10th
  • $33K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $41K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
-5%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 6Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Cedar Rapids

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,680 a year or less, while the top 10% make $40,780 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Cedar Rapids earn between $33,440 and $38,910.

  • $31K10th
  • $33K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $41K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,820$2,985$17.22
Median$35,740$2,978$17.18
Entry level (25th percentile)$33,440$2,787$16.08
Experienced (75th percentile)$38,910$3,242$18.71

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

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Cedar Rapids

On the average salary of $35,820, a single filer in Cedar Rapids takes home about $30,212 a year, or $2,518 a month and $1,162 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 (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

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

Prices in the Cedar Rapids area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.0), so the average $35,820 buys what about $40,264 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Cedar Rapids ($49,360). A typical home costs $244,344, or 6.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,820 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Iowa cities

Cedar Rapids ranks 4th of 6 Iowa metro areas for this job; Dubuque pays the most ($39,820).

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in Iowa

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 Cedar Rapids, IA.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Cedar Rapids: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Cedar Rapids?

$17.22 an hour on average, and $17.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,680 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,440, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $30,212 a year ($2,518 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,820. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Cedar Rapids than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% less 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 Cedar Rapids, IA (16300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • 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 (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.44, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.44).

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