Sewing machinists: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time sewing machinists in the UK earned a median £24,813 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 36% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (21st from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £23,145 a year, men £27,198 a year.
About 71% of the roughly 14,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 34.2% (from £18,486), faster than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 19,100 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | – | – | – | £218.40* | – |
| 20th percentile | £21,743 | £459.10 | £12.25 | £13,694* | £293.00* | £12.21 |
| 25th percentile | £22,699 | £464.10 | £12.39 | £17,135* | £316.40* | £12.25 |
| 30th percentile | £22,785 | £468.70 | £12.47 | £19,027* | £375.90* | £12.39 |
| 40th percentile | £23,778 | £485.20 | £13.02 | £21,258 | £443.10 | £12.56 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £24,813 | £511.40 | £13.26 | £22,767 | £467.80 | £13.00 |
| 60th percentile | £26,335 | £527.70 | £13.55 | £24,278 | £487.60 | £13.26 |
| 70th percentile | £27,237 | £561.70 | £14.01 | £25,694 | £518.90 | £13.62 |
| 75th percentile | – | £596.30 | £14.25 | £26,741 | £536.20 | £13.79 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | £566.90 | £14.23 |
| Mean | £25,552 | £527.40 | £13.58 | £21,702 | £444.50 | £13.36 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £18,486 | £373.20 | £9.33 | £16,509 | £335.90 | 15* |
| 2022 revised | £19,570 | £411.20 | £10.54 | £18,335 | £380.00 | 16* |
| 2023 revised | £21,386 | £425.00 | £11.04 | £19,411 | £405.50 | 14* |
| 2024 revised | £24,146 | £480.40 | £12.64 | £21,748 | £446.20 | 14* |
| 2025 provisional | £24,813 | £511.40 | £13.26 | £22,767 | £467.80 | 14* |
Sewing machinists by region
UK: 19,100 (± 5,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What sewing machinists do
Sewing machinists sew and finish garments by hand or machine, rectify faults in manufactured textile goods and repair worn and damaged garments. (ONS SOC 2020, 8146)
Also covers: overlocker, seamstress, sewing machinist, stitcher, upholstery machinist, accoutrements maker, badge worker, bag machinist, bag maker, bag mender, bag sewer, barring machinist, bartack machinist, basting machinist, bedding machinist, blanket binder, blanket machinist and blanket maker (266 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Operates standard and specialised machines to sew, finish and repair garments and other textile, fabric, fur and skin products
- Performs hand sewing tasks in the making, trimming and finishing of fur, sheepskin, leather, upholstery, mats, carpets, umbrellas and other textile products
- Embroiders decorative designs on textiles with machine stitching
- Routinely cleans and oils machine and reports or remedies any mechanical faults
There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is received Off and on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs are available at levels 1 and 2.
Related
Assemblers and routine operatives (median £29,992) · Tyre, exhaust and windscreen fitters · Weighers, graders and sorters · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026