51 Series · SOC 51-7042

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$43,380
Median / year
+7.3%
2024→2025
$56,830
Top 10% earn
-1.8%
Growth '24–'34
61,420
Estimated US jobs

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing earn a median of $43,380 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $43,380, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $32,110 (10th percentile) to $56,830 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 61,420 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Washington ($52,980).

51 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing earn a median of $43,380, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 17% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #74 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 1.8% by 2034.

$43,380
Median annual wage
Top 83%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#74 of 105
in Production
1.8×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Washington at $52,980. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Observed pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025

May 2019 → May 2025
  • The published national median for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing moved from $30,990 in May 2019 to $43,380 in May 2025 (+40.0%).
  • Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
  • Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing sits +15.5 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing (SOC 51-7042) has a national median of $43,380 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $32,110 to $56,830, and the published mean is $43,570. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 61,420 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 48 state or territory areas and 253 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $40,440 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $43,380 in May 2025, a rise of $2,940 (+7.3%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a -1.8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 6,400 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Production Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Washington pays the highest state median at $52,980, which is +22% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA at $60,070. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.

BLS OEWS May 2025 61,420 jobs Median $43,380/yr

Median Salary

$43,380

per year

Median Hourly

$20.86/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$43,570

average

Employment

61,420

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$43,380 Bottom 17% higher than 17% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000 and above: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $180,000+ every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$20,000 0 US occupations 0%
$20,000–$40,000 98 US occupations 12%
$40,000–$60,000 (this entry) 298 US occupations 36%
$60,000–$80,000 209 US occupations 25%
$80,000–$100,000 82 US occupations 10%
$100,000–$120,000 58 US occupations 7%
$120,000–$140,000 32 US occupations 4%
$140,000–$160,000 14 US occupations 2%
$160,000–$180,000 9 US occupations 1%
$180,000 and above 25 US occupations 3%

$43,380 · 17th percentile of 825 US occupations

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing sits on the slower-growing side at -1.8% growth and $43,380 median pay. Scatter plot of 23 data points. $30000$40000$50000$60000$70000$80000 -15%-10%-5%0%5%10% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage Miscellaneous Assemb… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -0.1% · Median annual wage: $44650First-Line Superviso… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1.2% · Median annual wage: $74450Welders, Cutters, So… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 2.2% · Median annual wage: $53750Packaging and Fillin… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.5% · Median annual wage: $43220Production Workers, … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.5% · Median annual wage: $40110Electrical, Electron… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 4.6% · Median annual wage: $45850Bakers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.6% · Median annual wage: $37160Laundry and Dry-Clea… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.4% · Median annual wage: $34890Food Batchmakers - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 6.9% · Median annual wage: $42290Cutting, Punching, a… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -12.1% · Median annual wage: $46330Computer Numerically… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -10.7% · Median annual wage: $50690Helpers--Production … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -8.9% · Median annual wage: $39070Coating, Painting, a… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 0.7% · Median annual wage: $48250Molding, Coremaking,… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -3.8% · Median annual wage: $44350Meat, Poultry, and F… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 5.5% · Median annual wage: $38300Printing Press Opera… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -8.1% · Median annual wage: $45780Chemical Equipment O… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 3.3% · Median annual wage: $58040Butchers and Meat Cu… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): 1% · Median annual wage: $40140Water and Wastewater… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -6.5% · Median annual wage: $60020Multiple Machine Too… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -0.5% · Median annual wage: $47180Sewing Machine Opera… - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -10.8% · Median annual wage: $36670Paper Goods Machine … - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -6.3% · Median annual wage: $50270Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing - Projected growth 2024–2034 (%): -1.8% · Median annual wage: $43380
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing sits on the slower-growing side at -1.8% growth and $43,380 median pay.
Read the chart as text
  • Miscellaneous Assemb…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.1%, Median annual wage $44650
  • First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.2%, Median annual wage $74450
  • Welders, Cutters, So…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.2%, Median annual wage $53750
  • Packaging and Fillin…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $43220
  • Production Workers, …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.5%, Median annual wage $40110
  • Electrical, Electron…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.6%, Median annual wage $45850
  • Bakers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.6%, Median annual wage $37160
  • Laundry and Dry-Clea…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.4%, Median annual wage $34890
  • Food Batchmakers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.9%, Median annual wage $42290
  • Cutting, Punching, a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -12.1%, Median annual wage $46330
  • Computer Numerically…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -10.7%, Median annual wage $50690
  • Helpers--Production …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -8.9%, Median annual wage $39070
  • Coating, Painting, a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.7%, Median annual wage $48250
  • Molding, Coremaking,…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.8%, Median annual wage $44350
  • Meat, Poultry, and F…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.5%, Median annual wage $38300
  • Printing Press Opera…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -8.1%, Median annual wage $45780
  • Chemical Equipment O…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.3%, Median annual wage $58040
  • Butchers and Meat Cu…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1%, Median annual wage $40140
  • Water and Wastewater…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6.5%, Median annual wage $60020
  • Multiple Machine Too…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.5%, Median annual wage $47180
  • Sewing Machine Opera…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -10.8%, Median annual wage $36670
  • Paper Goods Machine …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6.3%, Median annual wage $50270
  • Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.8%, Median annual wage $43380

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

-1.8%

Declining

Annual Openings

6,400

per year (projected)

Employment Change

-1,100

63,100 (2024) → 61,900 (2034)

Typical Education

High school diploma or equivalent

On-the-Job Training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
Group

Production Occupations context

Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade

Fatality Rate

3.5/100K

Injury Rate

3.2/100

Danger Index

14.6/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Operations Monitoring 3.6
Operation and Control 3.5
Quality Control Analysis 3.3
Monitoring 3.1
Speaking 3.0
Critical Thinking 3.0
Equipment Maintenance 3.0
Troubleshooting 3.0
Active Listening 2.9
Equipment Selection 2.9

Knowledge Areas

Mechanical 3.3
Production and Processing 3.0
Mathematics 2.9
Public Safety and Security 2.5
Building and Construction 2.4
Education and Training 2.4
Design 2.3
English Language 2.3
Administration and Management 2.0
Transportation 1.9

Key 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.
  • Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
  • Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

10th$32,110
25th$37,100
Median$43,380
75th$48,720
90th$56,830

Hourly Rate Distribution

10th$15.44
25th$17.84
Median$20.86
75th$23.42
90th$27.32

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay history, 2015–2025

Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.

$25,000$30,000$35,000$40,000$45,000 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 National median - 2015: $27,820National median - 2016: $28,510National median - 2017: $29,110National median - 2018: $29,730National median - 2019: $30,990National median - 2020: $32,160National median - 2021: $36,090National median - 2022: $36,830National median - 2023: $38,260National median - 2024: $40,440National median - 2025: $43,380$43,380
National median annual wage for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing, May 2015 to May 2025 OEWS releases
Read the chart as text
Period National median
2015 $27,820
2016 $28,510
2017 $29,110
2018 $29,730
2019 $30,990
2020 $32,160
2021 $36,090
2022 $36,830
2023 $38,260
2024 $40,440
2025 $43,380

2015 median

$27,820

2025 median

$43,380

2019–2025 change (same SOC)

+$12,390 (+40%)

Avg/year (same SOC)

+5.8%

Published national median annual wage and estimated employment for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing by OEWS release year
Release Median Change Estimated jobs
May 2015 $27,820 First banked release 75,540
May 2016 $28,510 +2.5% 76,130
May 2017 $29,110 +2.1% 79,650
May 2018 $29,730 +2.1% 78,980
May 2019 $30,990 Classification break 78,850
May 2020 $32,160 +3.8% 75,160
May 2021 $36,090 +12.2% 67,210
May 2022 $36,830 +2.1% 63,680
May 2023 $38,260 +3.9% 61,250
May 2024 $40,440 +5.7% 63,350
May 2025 $43,380 +7.3% 61,420

Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $27,820 in May 2015 to $43,380 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +5.8% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 78,850 in May 2019 to 61,420 in May 2025.

Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.

Salary by State

View all 48 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Washington $52,980 +22% above national
2 Minnesota $51,540 +19% above national
3 Iowa $51,200 +18% above national
4 New Jersey $49,680 +15% above national
5 Oregon $49,480 +14% above national
6 Nebraska $49,190 +13% above national
7 Michigan $47,680 +10% above national
8 Louisiana $47,170 +9% above national
9 Connecticut $47,140 +9% above national
10 Colorado $46,500 +7% above national
11 Vermont $46,480 +7% above national
12 Maryland $46,470 +7% above national
13 New Hampshire $46,450 +7% above national
14 Massachusetts $46,430 +7% above national
15 California $46,370 +7% above national
16 Rhode Island $45,880 +6% above national
17 North Dakota $45,820 +6% above national
18 Idaho $45,730 +5% above national
19 Montana $45,610 +5% above national
20 Pennsylvania $44,980 +4% above national
21 Wisconsin $44,450 +2% above national
22 Maine $44,370 +2% above national
23 Ohio $43,930 +1% above national
24 New York $43,720 +1% above national
25 Kansas $43,580 same as national
26 Mississippi $42,090 3% below national
27 South Carolina $41,990 3% below national
28 South Dakota $41,740 4% below national
29 Indiana $41,600 4% below national
30 Illinois $41,360 5% below national
31 Nevada $41,090 5% below national
32 West Virginia $40,020 8% below national
33 Wyoming $39,930 8% below national
34 Arizona $39,440 9% below national
35 Virginia $39,370 9% below national
36 Utah $39,260 9% below national
37 Florida $38,740 11% below national
38 New Mexico $38,650 11% below national
39 Missouri $38,640 11% below national
40 Kentucky $38,080 12% below national
41 North Carolina $37,550 13% below national
42 Georgia $37,380 14% below national
43 Arkansas $36,850 15% below national
44 Alabama $36,750 15% below national
45 Oklahoma $35,990 17% below national
46 Tennessee $35,290 19% below national
47 Texas $33,840 22% below national
48 Puerto Rico $21,840 50% below national

Salary by Metro Area

View all 159 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $60,070 +38% above national
2 Longview-Kelso, WA $59,550 +37% above national
3 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $56,950 +31% above national
4 Albany, OR $56,180 +30% above national
5 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $56,180 +30% above national
6 Bend, OR $55,400 +28% above national
7 Medford, OR $52,390 +21% above national
8 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $51,730 +19% above national
9 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $51,030 +18% above national
10 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $50,970 +17% above national
11 Bellingham, WA $50,220 +16% above national
12 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $50,000 +15% above national
13 Boulder, CO $49,860 +15% above national
14 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $49,850 +15% above national
15 St. Cloud, MN $49,790 +15% above national
16 Colorado Springs, CO $49,140 +13% above national
17 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $49,050 +13% above national
18 Jacksonville, FL $48,900 +13% above national
19 Eau Claire, WI $48,710 +12% above national
20 Salem, OR $48,660 +12% above national
21 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $48,580 +12% above national
22 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $48,330 +11% above national
23 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $47,990 +11% above national
24 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN $47,780 +10% above national
25 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $47,720 +10% above national
26 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI $47,610 +10% above national
27 Eugene-Springfield, OR $47,540 +10% above national
28 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $47,390 +9% above national
29 Portland-South Portland, ME $47,360 +9% above national
30 Coeur d'Alene, ID $47,350 +9% above national
31 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL $47,040 +8% above national
32 Chico, CA $46,940 +8% above national
33 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $46,940 +8% above national
34 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $46,850 +8% above national
35 Boise City, ID $46,750 +8% above national
36 Savannah, GA $46,750 +8% above national
37 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $46,730 +8% above national
38 Redding, CA $46,690 +8% above national
39 Fargo, ND-MN $46,530 +7% above national
40 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $46,480 +7% above national
41 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $46,420 +7% above national
42 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $46,380 +7% above national
43 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI $46,300 +7% above national
44 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $46,200 +7% above national
45 Springfield, IL $46,090 +6% above national
46 Omaha, NE-IA $45,950 +6% above national
47 Cleveland, OH $45,870 +6% above national
48 Lancaster, PA $45,830 +6% above national
49 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $45,660 +5% above national
50 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $45,650 +5% above national
51 Stockton-Lodi, CA $45,630 +5% above national
52 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $45,600 +5% above national
53 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC $45,430 +5% above national
54 Reno, NV $45,370 +5% above national
55 Reading, PA $45,070 +4% above national
56 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $44,810 +3% above national
57 York-Hanover, PA $44,800 +3% above national
58 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $44,790 +3% above national
59 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $44,740 +3% above national
60 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $44,690 +3% above national
61 Spartanburg, SC $44,560 +3% above national
62 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $44,530 +3% above national
63 Manchester-Nashua, NH $44,480 +3% above national
64 Green Bay, WI $44,320 +2% above national
65 Springfield, MA $44,250 +2% above national
66 Worcester, MA $44,100 +2% above national
67 Columbus, OH $43,770 +1% above national
68 Wausau, WI $43,640 +1% above national
69 Lansing-East Lansing, MI $43,620 +1% above national
70 Appleton, WI $43,610 +1% above national
71 Pittsburgh, PA $43,420 same as national
72 Bangor, ME $43,300 same as national
73 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $43,140 1% below national
74 Altoona, PA $43,000 1% below national
75 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $42,860 1% below national
76 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $42,690 2% below national
77 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $42,490 2% below national
78 Florence, SC $42,490 2% below national
79 St. Louis, MO-IL $42,370 2% below national
80 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $42,360 2% below national
81 Rochester, NY $42,150 3% below national
82 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $42,070 3% below national
83 St. George, UT $41,390 5% below national
84 Port St. Lucie, FL $41,330 5% below national
85 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $41,090 5% below national
86 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH $40,820 6% below national
87 Akron, OH $40,700 6% below national
88 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $40,560 7% below national
89 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $40,440 7% below national
90 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $40,370 7% below national
91 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $40,210 7% below national
92 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL $40,190 7% below national
93 Kansas City, MO-KS $40,160 7% below national
94 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV $40,130 7% below national
95 Ogden, UT $39,820 8% below national
96 Niles, MI $39,790 8% below national
97 Yuba City, CA $39,670 9% below national
98 Asheville, NC $39,530 9% below national
99 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $39,430 9% below national
100 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $39,420 9% below national
101 Roanoke, VA $39,300 9% below national
102 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $39,260 9% below national
103 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $39,200 10% below national
104 Fort Wayne, IN $39,110 10% below national
105 Fresno, CA $39,100 10% below national
106 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT $39,040 10% below national
107 Modesto, CA $38,990 10% below national
108 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL $38,940 10% below national
109 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $38,800 11% below national
110 Terre Haute, IN $38,650 11% below national
111 Syracuse, NY $38,570 11% below national
112 Columbia, SC $38,530 11% below national
113 Sheboygan, WI $38,440 11% below national
114 Valdosta, GA $38,340 12% below national
115 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC $38,310 12% below national
116 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $38,290 12% below national
117 Wichita, KS $38,110 12% below national
118 Fort Smith, AR-OK $38,100 12% below national
119 Albuquerque, NM $38,020 12% below national
120 Huntsville, AL $38,010 12% below national
121 Rapid City, SD $37,920 13% below national
122 Kankakee, IL $37,850 13% below national
123 Lewiston-Auburn, ME $37,800 13% below national
124 Rockford, IL $37,700 13% below national
125 Tucson, AZ $37,620 13% below national
126 Greensboro-High Point, NC $37,560 13% below national
127 Williamsport, PA $37,550 13% below national
128 Winston-Salem, NC $37,550 13% below national
129 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $37,460 14% below national
130 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC $37,440 14% below national
131 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $37,410 14% below national
132 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $37,380 14% below national
133 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $37,370 14% below national
134 Lexington-Fayette, KY $37,270 14% below national
135 Raleigh-Cary, NC $37,200 14% below national
136 Billings, MT $37,140 14% below national
137 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $37,090 14% below national
138 Madison, WI $36,900 15% below national
139 Richmond, VA $36,790 15% below national
140 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $36,720 15% below national
141 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $36,340 16% below national
142 Tulsa, OK $36,210 17% below national
143 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL $36,060 17% below national
144 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $35,910 17% below national
145 Oklahoma City, OK $35,910 17% below national
146 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $35,730 18% below national
147 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $35,700 18% below national
148 Chattanooga, TN-GA $35,580 18% below national
149 Birmingham, AL $35,480 18% below national
150 Logan, UT-ID $35,390 18% below national
151 Erie, PA $35,360 18% below national
152 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $35,350 19% below national
153 Tuscaloosa, AL $35,150 19% below national
154 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $35,110 19% below national
155 Canton-Massillon, OH $34,640 20% below national
156 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR $33,860 22% below national
157 Knoxville, TN $33,680 22% below national
158 Morristown, TN $31,270 28% below national
159 Longview, TX $29,270 33% below national

Same SOC major group

Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 51 (Production Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.

Showing 5 of 104 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.

Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale

Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Production Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($43,380 here) and reported employment (61,420 jobs here).

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing make?
The median annual salary for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is $43,380 ($20.86/hour). The salary range spans from $32,110 at the 10th percentile to $56,830 at the 90th percentile.
Where does Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay rank nationally?
At a published national median of $43,380, Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay is higher than 17% of the 825 detailed occupations with a published BLS annual median in the May 2025 OEWS release. This compares occupation-level medians, not individual workers, job offers, or this occupation's own worker pay-percentile range.
What state pays Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing the most?
Washington pays the highest median salary for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing at $52,980/year, which is +22% above the national median.
What education do Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing need?
BLS assigns Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing to High school diploma or equivalent for typical education needed for entry. Typical on-the-job training assignment: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing in this release. WageDex shows the Production Occupations SOC-group rate only as broad context and does not rank it as this occupation's measured rate.
Is Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing a good career?
Employment for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is projected to decline 1.8% from 2024 to 2034, which is declining. About 6,400 openings are projected each year.
How does Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay vary by state?
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Washington at $52,980/year, while Puerto Rico pays the least at $21,840/year. BLS data covers 48 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA at $60,070/year. BLS reports a median for 159 metropolitan areas for this occupation. The ranking does not establish why values differ.

What to do with this data

How to use Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay figures in a real decision

  • The 75th-percentile wage is about $48,720/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: Washington leads at $52,980/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.