Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S. is $46,570 ($22.39 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $46,570
- Mean annual wage
- $47,460
- Median hourly wage
- $22.39
- Employment
- 44,980
44,980 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,930 | $17.27 |
| 25th percentile | $39,440 | $18.96 |
| Median (50th) | $46,570 | $22.39 |
| 75th percentile | $53,800 | $25.87 |
| 90th percentile | $61,120 | $29.39 |
Highest-paying states for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $58,260 | 1,130 |
| Vermont | $52,220 | 100 |
| Colorado | $51,750 | 700 |
| Montana | $51,540 | 100 |
| Oregon | $51,180 | 990 |
| Missouri | $50,930 | 1,120 |
| Washington | $50,430 | 760 |
| New Hampshire | $50,290 | 90 |
| Illinois | $49,740 | 1,770 |
| New York | $49,680 | 1,870 |
Lowest-paying states
- New Mexico: $32,770 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $37,910 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $37,920 median annual wage
- Alabama: $39,740 median annual wage
- Florida: $40,540 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
Typical tasks
- Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
- Select and install machine components, such as cutting blades, rollers, and templates, according to specifications, using hand tools.
- Clean and lubricate cutting machines, conveyors, blades, saws, or knives, using steam hoses, scrapers, brushes, or oil cans.
- Position width gauge blocks between blades, and level blades and insert wedges into frames to secure blades to frames.
- Cut stock manually to prepare for machine cutting, using tools such as knives, cleavers, handsaws, or hammers and chisels.
- Change or replace saw blades, cables, cutter heads, and grinding wheels, using hand tools.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 24.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 47.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 17.7% |
| Associate's degree | 5.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 3.9% |
| Master's degree | 0.8% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.