SOC 51-6031 · Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro

Sewing Machine Operators Salary in Scranton, PA

The average salary for sewing machine operators in Scranton, Pennsylvania is $38,840 a year ($18.67 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $38,630: half of the 290 people in this job in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 3% more than the U.S. average for this job ($37,600).

$38,840average per year

$18.67 / hourMedian $38,630Take-home ≈ $32,196

  • $29K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $47K90th

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

290people in this job
+3%vs U.S. average
#1 of 12Pennsylvania metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Scranton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,890 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,890 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Scranton earn between $34,870 and $45,820.

  • $29K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $46K75th
  • $47K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,840$3,237$18.67
Median$38,630$3,219$18.57
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,870$2,906$16.76
Experienced (75th percentile)$45,820$3,818$22.03

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

Sewing Machine Operators pay in Scranton vs. Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Sewing machine operators in Scranton earn 7% more than the Pennsylvania average ($36,180) and 3% more than the U.S. average ($37,600). At the median the gap is +5% against the U.S. median of $36,670.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Scranton$38,840$38,630$28,890$46,890290
Pennsylvania$36,180$35,640$28,340$45,5103,390
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 Scranton

On the average salary of $38,840, a single filer in Scranton takes home about $32,196 a year, or $2,683 a month and $1,238 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Pennsylvania paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Scranton area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.6), so the average $38,840 buys what about $41,515 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Scranton ($46,330). A typical home costs $227,793, or 5.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,840 is worth in another city

Sewing Machine Operators salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Scranton ranks 1st of 12 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Sewing Machine Operators salaries in Pennsylvania

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 Scranton, PA.

Sewing Machine Operators salary in Scranton: questions

How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Scranton?

$18.67 an hour on average, and $18.57 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,890 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,870, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $32,196 a year ($2,683 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,840. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Do sewing machine operators earn more in Scranton than elsewhere?

The average here is 3% more 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (42540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • 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 (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.68, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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