SOC 51-6031 · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Virginia Beach, VA

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Virginia Beach, Virginia is $36,420 a year ($17.51 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,730: half of the 300 people in this job in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 3% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).

$36,420average per year

$17.51 / hourMedian $35,730Take-home ≈ $30,163

  • $26K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

300people in this job
-3%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 3Virginia metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Virginia Beach

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,560 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Virginia Beach earn between $29,080 and $43,230.

  • $26K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $43K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,420$3,035$17.51
Median$35,730$2,978$17.18
Entry level (25th percentile)$29,080$2,423$13.98
Experienced (75th percentile)$43,230$3,602$20.78

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

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Virginia Beach

On the average salary of $36,420, a single filer in Virginia Beach takes home about $30,163 a year, or $2,514 a month and $1,160 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NC$30,499$2,542
Working in VA$30,163$2,514

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

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

Prices in the Virginia Beach area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $36,420 buys what about $37,186 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Virginia Beach ($49,430). A typical home costs $373,678, or 10.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,420 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Virginia cities

Virginia Beach ranks 2nd of 3 Virginia metro areas for this job; Richmond pays the most ($37,730).

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in Virginia

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 Virginia Beach, VA.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Virginia Beach: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Virginia Beach?

$17.51 an hour on average, and $17.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,080, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $30,163 a year ($2,514 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,420.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Virginia Beach than elsewhere?

The average here is 3% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (47260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.3%.
  • 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 0.58, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.58).

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