Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,890 | $14.85 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $42,770 | $20.56 |
| Mean (average) | $43,580 | $20.95 |
| 90th percentile | $58,170 | $27.97 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 46 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $37,520 | $29,950 | $51,620 | 1,880 | 3.38 |
| Alaska | $52,680 | $37,550 | $57,870 | 100 | 1.23 |
| Arizona | $42,870 | $36,590 | $55,110 | 310 | 0.36 |
| Arkansas | $36,740 | $28,180 | $64,850 | 1,240 | 3.63 |
| California | $47,390 | $37,330 | $59,160 | 3,230 | 0.67 |
| Colorado | $47,030 | $39,110 | $57,980 | 350 | 0.47 |
| Connecticut | $51,150 | $38,380 | $66,300 | 110 | 0.24 |
| Florida | $38,280 | $33,330 | $48,710 | 740 | 0.28 |
| Georgia | $39,860 | $27,760 | $50,430 | 1,930 | 1.5 |
| Idaho | $48,350 | $39,520 | $59,720 | 700 | 3.1 |
| Illinois | $46,530 | $33,270 | $70,550 | 470 | 0.29 |
| Indiana | $42,620 | $34,270 | $58,840 | 1,270 | 1.51 |
| Iowa | $48,090 | $37,230 | $53,500 | 240 | 0.58 |
| Kansas | $36,930 | $28,760 | $50,400 | 110 | 0.28 |
| Kentucky | $36,810 | $28,880 | $46,700 | 1,050 | 2 |
| Louisiana | $46,610 | $29,810 | $56,870 | 500 | 0.97 |
| Maine | $46,210 | $37,230 | $56,590 | 730 | 4.34 |
| Maryland | $47,060 | $37,740 | $131,980 | 130 | 0.19 |
| Massachusetts | $47,210 | $43,630 | $75,430 | 60 | 0.06 |
| Michigan | $40,260 | $34,920 | $50,550 | 1,510 | 1.31 |
| Minnesota | $51,330 | $38,830 | $61,200 | 500 | 0.64 |
| Mississippi | $36,960 | $28,320 | $51,450 | 1,910 | 6.24 |
| Missouri | $38,030 | $30,630 | $48,670 | 1,380 | 1.79 |
| Montana | $49,090 | $42,320 | $57,960 | 280 | 2.07 |
| Nebraska | $46,970 | $40,040 | $56,190 | 140 | 0.53 |
| Nevada | $39,350 | $30,560 | $54,760 | 170 | 0.43 |
| New Hampshire | $46,090 | $32,220 | $56,910 | 130 | 0.72 |
| New Jersey | $44,630 | $34,750 | $58,090 | 80 | 0.07 |
| New Mexico | $34,720 | $29,120 | $64,840 | 70 | 0.29 |
| New York | $42,250 | $35,860 | $57,470 | 1,010 | 0.4 |
| North Carolina | $38,100 | $29,120 | $53,880 | 2,020 | 1.56 |
| Ohio | $45,010 | $35,940 | $57,070 | 2,180 | 1.49 |
| Oklahoma | $36,140 | $29,570 | $47,840 | 250 | 0.55 |
| Oregon | $49,740 | $37,370 | $59,250 | 2,010 | 3.89 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,590 | $31,210 | $57,520 | 1,720 | 1.08 |
| South Carolina | $39,300 | $29,070 | $51,750 | 810 | 1.33 |
| South Dakota | $37,480 | $30,460 | $58,450 | 260 | 2.15 |
| Tennessee | $39,070 | $30,680 | $49,400 | 1,510 | 1.75 |
| Texas | $36,740 | $28,550 | $50,300 | 1,680 | 0.45 |
| Utah | $43,490 | $36,020 | $55,560 | 180 | 0.39 |
| Vermont | $46,040 | $36,820 | $58,870 | 230 | 2.9 |
| Virginia | $35,790 | $30,480 | $47,780 | 1,580 | 1.46 |
| Washington | $51,940 | $39,730 | $63,180 | 1,720 | 1.85 |
| West Virginia | $35,590 | $27,450 | $58,280 | 360 | 1.96 |
| Wisconsin | $44,440 | $33,220 | $55,930 | 1,880 | 2.44 |
| Wyoming | $39,470 | $30,780 | $47,890 | 70 | 0.99 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 4,500. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Cabinetmaking and Millwork CIP 48.0703
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Inspect and measure workpieces to mark for cuts and to verify the accuracy of cuts, using rulers, squares, or caliper rules.
- Adjust saw blades, using wrenches and rulers, or by turning handwheels or pressing pedals, levers, or panel buttons.
- Mount and bolt sawing blades or attachments to machine shafts.
- Set up, operate, or tend saws or machines that cut or trim wood to specified dimensions, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, or crozer machines.
- Inspect stock for imperfections or to estimate grades or qualities of stock or workpieces.
- Monitor sawing machines, adjusting speed and tension and clearing jams to ensure proper operation.
- Sharpen blades, or replace defective or worn blades or bands, using hand tools.
- Guide workpieces against saws, saw over workpieces by hand, or operate automatic feeding devices to guide cuts.
Technology skills
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Automated inventory software
- Computerized numerical control CNC software
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Troubleshooting, Quality Control Analysis, Equipment Maintenance, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Bandmill Operator, Cut Off Saw Operator, Edgerman, Knot Saw Operator, Panel Saw Operator, Planer, Resaw Operator, Rip Saw Operator, Saw Operator, Sawyer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood make?
The national median annual wage for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood was $42,770 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $30,890 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $58,170. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood a growing career?
BLS projects employment of sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood to change -1.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 4,500 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($52,680), Washington ($51,940), Minnesota ($51,330). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.