Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut textiles.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Equipment Maintenance
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Design
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
What the work involves
- 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.
- Notify supervisors of mechanical malfunctions.
- Repair or replace worn or defective parts or components, using hand tools.
- Inspect machinery to determine whether repairs are needed.
- Adjust machine controls, such as heating mechanisms, tensions, or speeds, to produce specified products.
- Confer with coworkers to obtain information about orders, processes, or problems.
- Start machines, monitor operations, and make adjustments as needed.
- Clean, oil, and lubricate machines, using air hoses, cleaning solutions, rags, oilcans, and grease guns.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Enterprising.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (67.7% of respondents)
- Related experience
- None (44.5%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (40.5%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 97% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 97% of occupations compared | 72% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 89% of occupations compared | 29% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 96% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 51% of occupations compared | — |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 73% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | High | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 68% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 63% of occupations compared | 31% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 12.01%
- Occasional contact with others: 16.67%
- Contact with others about half the time: 13.75%
- Contact with others most of the time: 39.73%
- Constant contact with others: 17.84%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 71.55%
- Fairly important: 16.06%
- Important: 3.43%
- Very important: 4.91%
- Extremely important: 4.05%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2019
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 5.58%
- Fairly important: 14.7%
- Important: 26.02%
- Very important: 28.82%
- Extremely important: 24.88%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2019
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0.62%
- Very little freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Limited freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Some freedom: 16.36%
- A lot of freedom: 8.5%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2019
Time pressure
- Never: 13.21%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 7.3%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 1.81%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 34.12%
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2019
Conflict situations
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: 15.85%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 4.73%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 23.96%
- Every day: 12.78%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 17.72%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 16.88%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13.65%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 37.4%
- Every day: 14.35%
n = 20, Incumbent 08/2019
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 1.54%
- Fairly serious: 27.71%
- Serious: 31.09%
- Very serious: 22.13%
- Extremely serious: 17.53%
n = 21, Incumbent 08/2019
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O*NET-SOC 51-6062.00 · SOC 51-6062 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8