Sewing Machine Operators pay range in St. Louis
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,480 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in St. Louis earn between $35,270 and $39,730.
- $31K10th
- $35K25th
- $37KMedian
- $40K75th
- $44K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $37,890 | $3,158 | $18.22 |
| Median | $36,800 | $3,067 | $17.69 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,270 | $2,939 | $16.96 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $39,730 | $3,311 | $19.10 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in St. Louis
On the average salary of $37,890, a single filer in St. Louis takes home about $31,402 a year, or $2,617 a month and $1,208 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in MO | $31,402 | $2,617 |
| Working in IL | $30,890 | $2,574 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); the 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Is St. Louis a good place for sewing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the St. Louis area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.1), so the average $37,890 buys what about $39,847 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in St. Louis ($49,990). A typical home costs $276,878, or 7.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Missouri cities
St. Louis ranks 1st of 4 Missouri metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- St. Louis$37,890
- Kansas City$37,420
- Springfield$36,130
- Joplin$33,590
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 St. Louis: questions
How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in St. Louis?
$18.22 an hour on average, and $17.69 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level sewing machine operators salary in St. Louis?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,270, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the sewing machine operators take-home pay in St. Louis?
About $31,402 a year ($2,617 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $37,890. Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); the 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Do sewing machine operators earn more in St. Louis than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 St. Louis, MO-IL (41180). 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 (2026 rules). Includes St. Louis's local income tax (1%); the 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.87, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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