SOC 51-6031 · Wilmington, NC metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Wilmington, NC

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Wilmington, North Carolina is $32,910 a year ($15.82 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,510: half of the 110 people in this job in the Wilmington, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).

$32,910average per year

$15.82 / hourMedian $28,510Take-home ≈ $27,819

  • $27K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

110people in this job
-12%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 13North Carolina metros
96cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Wilmington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,750 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Wilmington earn between $28,510 and $38,310.

  • $27K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$32,910$2,742$15.82
Median$28,510$2,376$13.71
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,510$2,376$13.71
Experienced (75th percentile)$38,310$3,192$18.42

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

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Wilmington

On the average salary of $32,910, a single filer in Wilmington takes home about $27,819 a year, or $2,318 a month and $1,070 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 Wilmington a good place for sewing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Wilmington area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.4), so the average $32,910 buys what about $34,131 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Wilmington ($45,800). A typical home costs $446,210, or 13.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $32,910 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other North Carolina cities

Wilmington ranks 8th 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 Wilmington, NC.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Wilmington: questions

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

$15.82 an hour on average, and $13.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,510, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $27,819 a year ($2,318 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,910.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Wilmington than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% 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 Wilmington, NC (48900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.9%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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