Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $32,110 | $15.44 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $43,380 | $20.86 |
| Mean (average) | $43,570 | $20.95 |
| 90th percentile | $56,830 | $27.32 |
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
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 48 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,750 | $29,140 | $49,390 | 2,580 | 3.08 |
| Arizona | $39,440 | $36,790 | $49,830 | 1,430 | 1.12 |
| Arkansas | $36,850 | $25,960 | $59,630 | 760 | 1.47 |
| California | $46,370 | $37,700 | $57,520 | 3,530 | 0.49 |
| Colorado | $46,500 | $34,100 | $62,620 | 440 | 0.39 |
| Connecticut | $47,140 | $37,440 | $57,250 | 150 | 0.22 |
| Florida | $38,740 | $32,700 | $52,260 | 1,840 | 0.47 |
| Georgia | $37,380 | $29,780 | $53,160 | 2,280 | 1.18 |
| Idaho | $45,730 | $36,980 | $57,670 | 830 | 2.46 |
| Illinois | $41,360 | $36,970 | $53,160 | 1,820 | 0.76 |
| Indiana | $41,600 | $35,230 | $57,550 | 3,570 | 2.82 |
| Iowa | $51,200 | $39,540 | $57,480 | 1,100 | 1.79 |
| Kansas | $43,580 | $30,560 | $57,580 | 470 | 0.82 |
| Kentucky | $38,080 | $32,650 | $48,290 | 1,320 | 1.66 |
| Louisiana | $47,170 | $38,570 | $61,570 | 400 | 0.52 |
| Maine | $44,370 | $37,400 | $55,680 | 440 | 1.73 |
| Maryland | $46,470 | $36,820 | $63,320 | 420 | 0.38 |
| Massachusetts | $46,430 | $37,190 | $55,910 | 890 | 0.62 |
| Michigan | $47,680 | $38,130 | $54,500 | 5,250 | 3.02 |
| Minnesota | $51,540 | $45,780 | $60,120 | 710 | 0.61 |
| Mississippi | $42,090 | $29,630 | $56,150 | 860 | 1.88 |
| Missouri | $38,640 | $34,600 | $49,260 | 940 | 0.81 |
| Montana | $45,610 | $32,020 | $58,100 | 360 | 1.8 |
| Nebraska | $49,190 | $39,340 | $49,190 | 490 | 1.21 |
| Nevada | $41,090 | $33,900 | $50,170 | 310 | 0.51 |
| New Hampshire | $46,450 | $39,130 | $62,040 | 440 | 1.61 |
| New Jersey | $49,680 | $36,670 | $78,590 | 410 | 0.24 |
| New Mexico | $38,650 | $32,850 | $59,300 | 150 | 0.42 |
| New York | $43,720 | $35,910 | $64,070 | 1,250 | 0.33 |
| North Carolina | $37,550 | $30,180 | $48,120 | 4,090 | 2.09 |
| North Dakota | $45,820 | $40,470 | $48,790 | 280 | 1.66 |
| Ohio | $43,930 | $35,010 | $53,150 | 2,710 | 1.23 |
| Oklahoma | $35,990 | $31,110 | $61,060 | 260 | 0.38 |
| Oregon | $49,480 | $39,690 | $59,440 | 2,120 | 2.73 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,980 | $36,060 | $60,960 | 3,310 | 1.38 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,840 | $21,840 | $23,230 | ||
| Rhode Island | $45,880 | $31,200 | $58,960 | 100 | 0.5 |
| South Carolina | $41,990 | $29,720 | $57,010 | 1,660 | 1.82 |
| South Dakota | $41,740 | $31,070 | $51,870 | 490 | 2.72 |
| Tennessee | $35,290 | $29,330 | $46,420 | 1,840 | 1.42 |
| Texas | $33,840 | $21,690 | $46,230 | 2,130 | 0.38 |
| Utah | $39,260 | $35,360 | $49,680 | 1,050 | 1.54 |
| Vermont | $46,480 | $39,120 | $56,560 | 200 | 1.67 |
| Virginia | $39,370 | $32,500 | $48,410 | 1,520 | 0.94 |
| Washington | $52,980 | $43,990 | $61,440 | 1,250 | 0.89 |
| West Virginia | $40,020 | $29,860 | $49,120 | 280 | 1.01 |
| Wisconsin | $44,450 | $35,430 | $55,170 | 2,610 | 2.25 |
| Wyoming | $39,930 | $27,800 | $46,010 | 40 | 0.38 |
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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 5,300. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- 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
- Woodworking, General CIP 48.0701
- Cabinetmaking and Millwork CIP 48.0703
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
- Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.
- Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
- Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
- Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
- Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
- Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
- Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.
Technology skills
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Apple macOS (hot technology)
- Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle Java (hot technology)
- AS/400 Database
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Equipment Selection.
Common job titles: Boring Machine Operator, Cabinet Maker, Knot Saw Operator, Lathe Operator, Machine Operator, Molder Operator, Router Operator, Sander, Sander Operator.
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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing make?
The national median annual wage for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing was $43,380 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $32,110 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $56,830. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing a growing career?
BLS projects employment of woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing to change -2.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 5,300 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($52,980), Minnesota ($51,540), Iowa ($51,200). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.