SOC 51-6031 · Traverse City, MI metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Traverse City, MI

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Traverse City, Michigan is $41,720 a year ($20.06 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,900: half of the 130 people in this job in the Traverse City, MI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).

$41,720average per year

$20.06 / hourMedian $37,900Take-home ≈ $34,175

  • $36K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $38KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $49K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

130people in this job
+11%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 7Michigan metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Traverse City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,340 a year or less, while the top 10% make $49,070 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Traverse City earn between $37,870 and $48,260.

  • $36K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $38KMedian
  • $48K75th
  • $49K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$41,720$3,477$20.06
Median$37,900$3,158$18.22
Entry level (25th percentile)$37,870$3,156$18.21
Experienced (75th percentile)$48,260$4,022$23.20

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

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Traverse City

On the average salary of $41,720, a single filer in Traverse City takes home about $34,175 a year, or $2,848 a month and $1,314 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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

Prices in the Traverse City area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.4), so the average $41,720 buys what about $44,681 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Traverse City ($47,470). A typical home costs $421,806, or 10.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $41,720 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Michigan cities

Traverse City ranks 1st of 7 Michigan metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in Michigan

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 Traverse City, MI.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Traverse City: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Traverse City?

$20.06 an hour on average, and $18.22 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,340 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,870, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $34,175 a year ($2,848 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $41,720.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Traverse City than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% 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 Traverse City, MI (45900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.90, this job is 2.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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