Sewing Machine Operating
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Sewing Machine Operating occupation series (code 3111), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Fabric and Leather Work Family family, Sewing Machine Operating counts 76 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 3.8% from the prior period; pay averages $51,384, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 76
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $51,384
- Avg tenure
- 11.6 yrs
FedScope read on Sewing Machine Operating (thin series)
Federal agencies employ 76 people in the Sewing Machine Operating occupation (OPM code 3111), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -3.8% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
Average tenure in Sewing Machine Operating runs 11.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $51,384 per year, up 0.2% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Code 31, the Fabric and Leather Work Family family, is where the federal government classifies Sewing Machine Operating alongside 3 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Sewing Machine Operating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Fabric and Leather Work Family family.
Inside the Fabric and Leather Work Family family (4 occupations, 618 employees combined), Sewing Machine Operating holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 12.3% share of the family total.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Sewing Machine Operating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$51,384
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-56.2%
Where Sewing Machine Operating ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $51,384 is higher than 6% of federal occupation series (34 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Sewing Machine Operating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Sewing Machine Operating ranks higher than 6%.
Related Occupations in Fabric and Leather Work Family
3 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric Working | 505 | $84,450 | 10.9 yrs |
| Misc Fabric and Leather Work | 28 | $80,683 | 18 yrs |
| Upholstering | 9 | $89,428 | 15.9 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this thin headcount
Two peer sets for Sewing Machine Operating outside the Fabric and Leather Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar thin headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (76 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($51,384 here).
Key takeaways
- Sewing Machine Operating pays below the federal average by 56.2% ($51,384 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 6th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 76 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount declined 3.8% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Sewing Machine Operating ranks #499 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Fabric and Leather Work Family family (4 occupations, 618 employees combined), Sewing Machine Operating holds the #2 spot by headcount, a 12.3% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.