SOC 51-6031 · Burlington, NC metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Burlington, NC

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Burlington, North Carolina is $31,560 a year ($15.17 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,570: half of the 180 people in this job in the Burlington, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 16% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).

$31,560average per year

$15.17 / hourMedian $29,570Take-home ≈ $26,788

  • $23K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $39K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

180people in this job
-16%vs U.S. metro average
#11 of 13North Carolina metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Burlington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,380 a year or less, while the top 10% make $39,000 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Burlington earn between $28,180 and $36,080.

  • $23K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $39K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$31,560$2,630$15.17
Median$29,570$2,464$14.22
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,180$2,348$13.55
Experienced (75th percentile)$36,080$3,007$17.35

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

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Burlington

On the average salary of $31,560, a single filer in Burlington takes home about $26,788 a year, or $2,232 a month and $1,030 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

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

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

Prices in the Burlington area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.2), so the average $31,560 buys what about $33,864 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Burlington ($44,010). A typical home costs $298,353, or 9.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $31,560 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other North Carolina cities

Burlington ranks 11th of 13 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Hickory pays the most ($44,600).

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in North Carolina

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 Burlington, NC.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Burlington: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Burlington?

$15.17 an hour on average, and $14.22 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,380 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,180, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $26,788 a year ($2,232 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,560.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Burlington than elsewhere?

The average here is 16% 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 Burlington, NC (15500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 4.04, this job is 4.0 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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