Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders

More data on this career

Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 125.6 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 6 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.

Union membership. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 11.9% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,161 for union members and $945 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to shoe machine operators and tenders.

Employer benefits. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 75% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 80% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 77% had paid sick leave, 90% paid vacation and 92% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to shoe machine operators and tenders, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.63 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Production" in June 2026 ($25.21 in wages and salaries and $12.42 in benefits, 33.0% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).

Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for shoe machine operators and tenders are: spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls (100%), spend time making repetitive motions (98%), contact with others (93%), wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (77%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (77%), exposed to sounds, noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable (71%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (51% of 18 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (60% of 18 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (42% of 19 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to shoe machine operators and tenders in the work done and the skills used: Sewing Machine Operators, Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers, Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand, Cutters and Trimmers, Hand, Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing, Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).

Compare shoe machine operators and tenders with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →