Also called: Loom Operator, Knitting Machine Tender
Sets up and watches giant looms and knitting machines that turn yarn into rolls of fabric.
You walk a loud floor of rows of looms, fixing broken threads, changing yarn cones and watching for flaws in the fabric coming off the machine. When a machine jams, you are the first one in. Many mills run around the clock in 12-hour shifts.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High-school diploma; trained on the job.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Textile Technology (certificate).
Shrinking (about -8% over 10 years). BLS projects decline as mills automate and consolidate.
High risk for 10 years. Modern looms and knitting machines run with minimal tending; one operator watches many machines.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at textile mills or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Shop class, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-6063.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.