SOC 51-6031 · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Sioux City, IA

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Sioux City, Iowa is $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,300: half of the 30 people in this job in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($37,600).

$35,360average per year

$17.00 / hourMedian $36,300Take-home ≈ $29,860

  • $29K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

30people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#5 of 6Iowa metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Sioux City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,710 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Sioux City earn between $30,740 and $36,940.

  • $29K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,360$2,947$17.00
Median$36,300$3,025$17.45
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,740$2,562$14.78
Experienced (75th percentile)$36,940$3,078$17.76

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Sewing Machine Operators pay in Sioux City vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Sewing machine operators in Sioux City earn 3% less than the Iowa average ($36,570) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($37,600). At the median the gap is -1% against the U.S. median of $36,670.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Sioux City$35,360$36,300$29,150$45,71030
Iowa$36,570$35,870$28,890$47,270590
United States$37,600$36,670$27,860$47,840104,880

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Sioux City

On the average salary of $35,360, a single filer in Sioux City takes home about $29,860 a year, or $2,488 a month and $1,148 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

The Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in SD$30,592$2,549
Working in NE$29,862$2,489
Working in IA$29,860$2,488

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Sioux City a good place for sewing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Sioux City area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.5), so the average $35,360 buys what about $40,900 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Sioux City ($47,030). A typical home costs $225,213, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,360 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Iowa cities

Sioux City ranks 5th of 6 Iowa metro areas for this job; Dubuque pays the most ($39,820).

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for sewing machine operators

Appleton, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($51,830).

Sewing Machine Operators salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Sewing Machine Operators in Sioux City, IA.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Sioux City: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Sioux City?

$17.00 an hour on average, and $17.45 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level sewing machine operators salary in Sioux City?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,740, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the sewing machine operators take-home pay in Sioux City?

About $29,860 a year ($2,488 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,360. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Sioux City than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($37,600).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-6031; area Sioux City, IA-NE-SD (43580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).

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