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Textile mills
Parkdale Mills, Milliken & Company, Unifi
Home / All Jobs / Trades / Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
These workers keep winding, twisting, and drawing machines running so yarn and fabric come out at the right strength and uniformity. The job is distinct because much of the work is watching for defects, making small adjustments fast, and stopping a run before a bad batch grows into wasted material. The tradeoff is that it is relatively easy to enter, but the pay is modest and the work is tied to a shrinking factory sector.
Also known as Textile Machine OperatorYarn Winder OperatorTwisting Machine OperatorDraw Frame OperatorTextile Tender
Median Salary
$37,660
Mean $38,440
U.S. Workforce
~21K
2.5K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-9%
21.7K to 19.8K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~21K workers, with a median annual pay of $37,660 and roughly 2.5K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 21.7 K in 2024 to 19.8K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Less than high school diploma, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Production Helper and can progress toward Shift Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Operations Monitoring, Machine Operation and Control, and Quality Control Inspection, paired with soft skills such as Attention to detail, Clear communication, and Active listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Check yarn or finished fabric for defects and decide whether the machine needs to be adjusted.
- Keep winding and twisting machines running by starting, stopping, and monitoring them during production.
- Thread yarn or fabric through guides, needles, and rollers so the machine can work properly.
- Swap out empty supply packages for full ones and keep the machine stocked with materials.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Check yarn or finished fabric for defects and decide whether the machine needs to be adjusted.
02 Keep winding and twisting machines running by starting, stopping, and monitoring them during production.
03 Thread yarn or fabric through guides, needles, and rollers so the machine can work properly.
04 Swap out empty supply packages for full ones and keep the machine stocked with materials.
05 Run a short test after making an adjustment to make sure the machine is producing the right product.
06 Report breakdowns or jams to a supervisor or mechanic and stop production when the target amount has been reached.
Industries That Hire
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Apparel manufacturing
HanesBrands, Levi Strauss & Co., VF Corporation
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Home furnishings
Mohawk Industries, Shaw Industries, Tempur Sealy
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Technical textiles and industrial fabrics
W. L. Gore & Associates, Berry Global, 3M
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can get started without a college degree, and BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry point with moderate-term on-the-job training.
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The work is concrete and measurable: you can see whether the yarn or fabric passes inspection, which makes it easier to know if you are doing it well.
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Demand is not huge, but there are still about 2.5K annual openings, so people do leave and retire even as the industry contracts.
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The role builds hands-on manufacturing skills that can lead to lead operator or shift supervisor work.
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Factory routines can be predictable, which appeals to people who prefer repeatable tasks over office work or customer-facing jobs.
Challenges
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Pay is fairly limited for a production job, with a median annual wage of $37,660 and a mean of $38,440.
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Employment is projected to fall by 9.0% from 2024 to 2034, so long-term demand is weaker than in many other occupations.
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The work is tied to textile production, which is vulnerable to offshoring and automation, so the career path can be narrow in many regions.
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Much of the shift is repetitive and physical, including threading machines, swapping material packages, and watching equipment for long stretches.
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There is a real ceiling unless you move into supervision, maintenance, or another manufacturing specialty, because the core role is mostly machine tending rather than advanced technical decision-making.
Career Progression
Production Helper
0-1 years
$30K-$34K
Learns the line, brings materials to machines, and helps with basic cleanup, threading, and stocking.
Textile Winding and Twisting Operator
1-3 years
$35K-$41K
Runs the machines directly, checks output for defects, and makes small adjustments to keep production moving.
Lead Operator THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$42K-$50K
Handles more complicated setups, troubleshoots recurring problems, and helps train newer operators.
Shift Supervisor
8-12 years
$51K-$60K
Coordinates a team on one shift, tracks production goals, and steps in on equipment or quality issues.
Education Paths
Less than high school diploma
A common entry route, held by 53.84% of workers in this role.
High school diploma or equivalent
Another common route, held by 46.16% of workers in this role, and also the BLS typical entry point.
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most workers also learn the job on the factory floor after being hired, with no prior work experience required.
Key Skills
Technical
Operations Monitoring 72%
Machine Operation and Control 70%
Quality Control Inspection 62%
Process Monitoring 60%
Troubleshooting Jams and Adjustments 58%
Textile Machine Threading and Changeovers 56%
Material Feeding and Package Replacement 54%
Soft Skills
Attention to detailClear communicationActive listeningTeamworkProblem-solvingPatience Job Outlook and Trends
+-9%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
2.5K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 21.7K to 19.8 K over the next decade, representing -9% growth. Around 2.5 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.