Overview
Industrial sewing machine operators operate sewing machines to sew fabric, fur, leather or synthetic materials to produce or repair garments and other articles. They are employed in clothing, footwear, textile products, fur products and other manufacturing establishments and by furriers.
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Assemble pieces of garments by matching patterns and dye lots
Operate single, double or multi-needle serging, flat bed felling, banding and other sewing machines, to join sections of garments or other articles into finished products on a piece-work or production basis
Operate fur sewing machines to join fur pelt strips to required size and shape and join pelts into garment sections or shells
Operate stitching machines to sew leather parts together for leather garments, handbags, shoes and other leather articles
Operate serging machines to sew and overcast edges of material simultaneously
Operate tackers, pocketsetters, buttonhole makers and fusing, hemmer and other machines to perform various operations in the fabrication of garments and other articles
Examine garments and operate sewing machines, sergers and other machines to repair garments and other articles during the manufacturing process
Complete production reports
May perform minor maintenance and repairs on sewing machine.
Employment prospects
Annual salary
$36,289
$37,541
$43,798
Job openings
Use this interactive map to explore job openings in different regions across B.C.
British Columbia
356expected job openings (5-year forecast)
Education and training
Employment requirements
Some secondary school education is usually required.
Experience operating a sewing machine is usually required.
On-the-job training may be provided.
Additional information
Industrial sewing machine operators may progress to supervisory positions with experience.
Certification requirements
Post-secondary programs in B.C.
No post-secondary education required
No post-secondary education required. You can work in this career without post-secondary education. Some on the job training may be provided. With additional training or experience, you may be able to progress into higher level, supervisory or management positions.