How to become a Textile or Footwear Production Machine Operator

Operates automated machines that process raw hides and skins and raw textile fibres, and dye, weave and knit fibres to manufacture finished leather, yarn, carpet, knit fabrics, garments and garment parts and footwear products.

Main tasks

• Prepares textile or footwear production machines for operation to process raw hides, skins and textile fibres
• Operates automated machines that dye and tan hides and skins, and dye textiles
• Operates automated machines that cut and machine leather and synthetic shoe uppers, and make shoes
• Operates automated machines that convert raw textile fibres into continuous untwisted and twisted strands of yarn for use in clothing, carpets, curtains, linens and other fabrics
• Programs machines to position and feed fibre packages to produce carpets, linens and other textiles
• Oversees process of tying and splicing ends to repair broken yarns

Ways in

• TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles (MST31022); Certificate III in Footwear (MST30416); Certificate III in Leather Production (MST30519); Certificate II in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles (MST20722); Certificate II in Leather Production (MST20319); Certificate III in Engineering - Textile Mechanic (MEM31822)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $63,700 a year
• About 1,700 people work in this job group now, and about 1,700 are projected by 2035. (+3.5%)
• AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Related jobs

• Sewing Machinist
• Industrial Spray Painter
• Sandblaster
• Reinforced Plastic and Composite Production Worker
• Paper and Pulp Production Operator
• Timber and Wood Production Operator

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Textile or Footwear Production Machine Operator?

Ways in include: Certificate III in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles; Certificate III in Footwear.

How much does a Textile or Footwear Production Machine Operator earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $63,700 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Textile or Footwear Production Machine Operator a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 1,700 to about 1,700 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Textile or Footwear Production Machine Operator?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles; Certificate III in Footwear.

Will AI change the work of a Textile or Footwear Production Machine Operator?

AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04