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Finishing textile technician

Also called yarn finisher, cloth finisher, textile finisher

Finishing textile technicians perform operations related to setting up finishing processes. The finishing processes are the final series of operations that improve the appearance and/or usefulness of textiles.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects22 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,000 (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Stationary plant and machine operatorsWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational6 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 7 in 10 train through vocational routes.Stationary plant and machine operatorsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.Bleaching, dyeing and fabric cleaning machine operators · ILO

What you'd do

Bleaching, dyeing and fabric cleaning machine operators · ILO
  • Starting and controlling machines and equipment to bleach, dye or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread and/or other textile goods
  • Tending machines that shrink woven or knitted cloth to predetermined size or strengthen the weave by interlocking the fibres
  • Tending a variety of automatic machines that comb and polish furs
  • Operating and monitoring machines that treat silk to give it body and weight
  • Operating and monitoring machines that impregnate textiles with chemicals to render them waterproof
  • Dyeing articles to change or restore their colours
  • Operating and monitoring machines that stretch or impart lustre or other type of finish to textiles
  • Tending and regulating equipment that fumigates and removes foreign matter from furs
  • Operating machines that comb, dry and polish furs, and clean, sterilize and fluff feathers and blankets
  • Keying in processing instructions to programme electronic equipment
  • Observing display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly
  • Cleaning machine filters and lubricating equipment
Maintain work standardsFinish processing of man-made fibresTend textile dyeing machinesUse textile finishing machine technologiesPrepare equipment for textile printing+ 1 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • On your feet most of the day
  • Lots of contact with people
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as stationary plant and machine operators in the EU
4.79m4.76m4.7m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,125,000 replacing leavers 71,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Stationary plant and machine operators22
All jobs29
Right now
7 of 27 countries report a shortage of bleaching, dyeing and fabric cleaning machine operators, 4 a surplus.
Bleaching, dyeing and fabric cleaning machine operators · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among plant and machine operators, and assemblers in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in textiles (clothes, footwear and leather) is the usual route.

Highest qualification of stationary plant and machine operators (EU, 2025)
Degree 8%Vocational 53%General secondary 10%Basic schooling 29%
Field that teaches it
Textiles (clothes, footwear and leather)
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.21 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 12 tasks
Keying in processing instructions to programme electronic equipment0.65
Observing display screens, control panels, equipment, and cloth entering or exiting processes to determine if equipment is operating correctly0.28
Operating and monitoring machines that treat silk to give it body and weight0.19
Operating and monitoring machines that stretch or impart lustre or other type of finish to textiles0.19
Operating and monitoring machines that impregnate textiles with chemicals to render them waterproof0.18
Starting and controlling machines and equipment to bleach, dye or otherwise process and finish fabric, yarn, thread and/or other textile goods0.18
Operating machines that comb, dry and polish furs, and clean, sterilize and fluff feathers and blankets0.17
Tending machines that shrink woven or knitted cloth to predetermined size or strengthen the weave by interlocking the fibres0.16
Dyeing articles to change or restore their colours0.15
Tending a variety of automatic machines that comb and polish furs0.14
Tending and regulating equipment that fumigates and removes foreign matter from furs0.12
Cleaning machine filters and lubricating equipment0.12

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for bleaching, dyeing and fabric cleaning machine operators. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).