Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing in the U.S. is $43,380 ($20.86 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $43,380
- Mean annual wage
- $43,570
- Median hourly wage
- $20.86
- Employment
- 61,420
61,420 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $32,110 | $15.44 |
| 25th percentile | $37,100 | $17.84 |
| Median (50th) | $43,380 | $20.86 |
| 75th percentile | $48,720 | $23.42 |
| 90th percentile | $56,830 | $27.32 |
Highest-paying states for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $52,980 | 1,250 |
| Minnesota | $51,540 | 710 |
| Iowa | $51,200 | 1,100 |
| New Jersey | $49,680 | 410 |
| Oregon | $49,480 | 2,120 |
| Nebraska | $49,190 | 490 |
| Michigan | $47,680 | 5,250 |
| Louisiana | $47,170 | 400 |
| Connecticut | $47,140 | 150 |
| Colorado | $46,500 | 440 |
Lowest-paying states
- Texas: $33,840 median annual wage
- Tennessee: $35,290 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $35,990 median annual wage
- Alabama: $36,750 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $36,850 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
Typical tasks
- Remove and replace worn parts, bits, belts, sandpaper, or shaping tools.
- Set up, program, or control computer-aided design (CAD) or computer numerical control (CNC) machines.
- Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
- Secure woodstock against a guide or in a holding device, place woodstock on a conveyor, or dump woodstock in a hopper to feed woodstock into machines.
- Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
- Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 29.6% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 48.5% |
| Some college, no degree | 9.5% |
| Associate's degree | 3.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 7.2% |
| Master's degree | 1.8% |
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.