Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-6063
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-6063 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 3.2%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $39,530
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 1,800
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -11.2%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 2,008 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
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Skills to build:
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Set up, operate, or tend machines that knit, loop, weave, or draw in textiles.
Common titles: Knitter, Knitting Machine Operator, Loom Fixer, Machine Operator, Operator, Tufting Machine Operator
Representative Tasks
- •Observe woven cloth to detect weaving defects.
- •Thread yarn, thread, and fabric through guides, needles, and rollers of machines for weaving, knitting, or other processing.
- •Remove defects in cloth by cutting and pulling out filling.
- •Examine looms to determine causes of loom stoppage, such as warp filling, harness breaks, or mechanical defects.
- •Inspect products to ensure that specifications are met and to determine if machines need adjustment.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Inspect textile products.
- •Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
- •Cut fabrics.
- •Inspect production equipment.
- •Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 3.2% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $39,530 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 97/100 | N/A |