Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
This is a specialization of
Textile WorkersCareer Overview Video
AI Impact Assessment
AI Resilience Score
Score 2/6: low AI task exposure, declining job demand, limited human advantage indicates this career is being transformed by AI
How we calculated this:
9% of tasks can be accelerated by AI
-4% projected (2024-2034)
EPOCH score: 9/25
Key Responsibilities
- Inspect finished products to ensure that shoes have been completed according to specifications.
- Align parts to be stitched, following seams, edges, or markings, before positioning them under needles.
- Operate or tend machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
- Remove and examine shoes, shoe parts, and designs to verify conformance to specifications such as proper embedding of stitches in channels.
- Switch on machines, lower pressure feet or rollers to secure parts, and start machine stitching, using hand, foot, or knee controls.
- Draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles.
- Study work orders or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used.
- Perform routine equipment maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating machines or replacing broken needles.
- Test machinery to ensure proper functioning before beginning production.
- Select and place spools of thread or pre-wound bobbins into shuttles, or onto spindles or loupers of stitching machines.
Education & Training
Typical Entry Education
Less than high school
Time to Job Ready
0-1 years
Based on Job Zone 2. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.
Technology Skills
Key Abilities
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Find jobs and training programs for shoe machine operators and tenders- Median salary: $37K/year
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Compensation Details
Based on 4,630 employed workers
Also Known As
Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
O*NET Code: 51-6042.00