Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Workers

How to become a Textile Cutting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender

Official title: Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Also called: Automated Cutting Machine Operator, CNC Cutting Operator (Computer Numerical Control Cutting Operator), Cutter, Cutter Operator, Die Cut Operator, Fabric Cutter, Laser Operator, Spread Cutter, Spreader, Textile Slitting Machine Operator

Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut textiles.

Main tasks

Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters, or computer numerically controlled cutting devices.
Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products.
Record information about work completed and machine settings.
Notify supervisors of mechanical malfunctions.
Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed.
Confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $38,760 a year The middle half earn $34,230 to $45,220.
About 9,400 people work in this job now, and about 8,200 are projected by 2035. (-13.6%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How much does a Textile Cutting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $38,760 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $34,230 to $45,220.

Is a Textile Cutting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 14% by 2035, from about 9,400 to about 8,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Textile Cutting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Textile Cutting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.