$49,000Average
$53,00075th percentile
$61,000
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders salary in California
The average Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders salary in California is $53,000 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $49,000 to $61,000. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The California median is $49,500 per year.
California average pay is $15,500 (41.3%) above the national Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders average of $37,500. Both use the same 2026 basis.
National role context
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For California pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
Typical entry preparation: Less than a High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma
- 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.
Top skills: Reading Comprehension Operations Monitoring Operation and Control Monitoring Critical Thinking Active Listening
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $30,630 to $35,650.
+16.4% over this periodMedians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Related careers
Key skills for this role
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Core duties
- 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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders pays 33% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
California salary questions
How much does a Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders make in California?
The average base salary for a Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders in California is $53,000 per year, or about $25.48 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders salary in California?
The median is $49,500 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $53,000.
What is the typical Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders salary range in California?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in California is $49,000 to $61,000 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders pay in California compare with the national average?
The California average of $53,000 is $15,500 (41.3%) above the national average of $37,500. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these California salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
