Production · Holland code RC

Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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

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

O*NET 51-6062.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $38,760; Middle half earn $34,230 to $45,220. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 68% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Thread yarn, thread, or fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines.
Operate machines to cut multiple layers of fabric into parts for articles such as canvas goods, house furnishings, garments, hats, or stuffed toys.
Inspect products to ensure that the quality standards and specifications are met.
Adjust cutting techniques to types of fabrics and styles of garments.
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.
Program electronic equipment.
Study guides, samples, charts, and specification sheets or confer with supervisors or engineering staff to determine set-up requirements.
Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Writing2.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.3 / 5
Mathematics2.9 / 5
Mechanical2.8 / 5
English Language2.6 / 5
Design2.5 / 5
Education and Training2.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic89
Investigative9
Artistic9
Social4
Enterprising9
Conventional58

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

clothing cutter · DE Zuschneider (Bekleidung)/Zuschneiderin (Bekleidung) · FR coupeur tailleur/coupeuse tailleuse
leather goods hand cutting operator · DE Lederzuschneider/Lederzuschneiderin · FR coupeur main articles en cuir/coupeuse main articles en cuir
textile machine operator · DE Textilmaschinenbediener/Textilmaschinenbedienerin · FR conducteur de machines de fabrication de produits textiles/ conductrice de machines de fabrication de produits textiles
clothing alteration machinist · DE Änderungschneider/Änderungsschneiderin · FR retoucheur de confection/retoucheuse de confection
automated cutting machine operator · DE Stanzmaschinenbediener/Stanzmaschinenbedienerin · FR conducteur de machines de coupe automatique en industrie des matériaux souples/conductrice de machines de coupe automatique en industrie des matériaux souples
cutting machine operator · DE Oberlederzurichter/Oberlederzurichterin · FR coupeur en chaussures/coupeuse en chaussures

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Footwear and leather working trades (5412)7,700 employed
Sewing machinists (8146)19,100 employed
Tailors and dressmakers (5413)12,000 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.02. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-6062).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test