Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$53,330
- New Jersey$53,110
- Minnesota$52,750
- Iowa$51,530
- Oregon$50,740
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Texas$35,030
- Tennessee$36,350
- Alabama$38,550
- North Carolina$38,990
- Oklahoma$39,140
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $53,330 | $52,980 | $26 | +22.4% | 1,250 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $53,110 | $49,680 | $26 | +21.9% | 410 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $52,750 | $51,540 | $25 | +21.1% | 710 |
| 4 | Iowa | $51,530 | $51,200 | $25 | +18.3% | 1,100 |
| 5 | Oregon | $50,740 | $49,480 | $24 | +16.5% | 2,120 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $48,260 | $46,450 | $23 | +10.8% | 440 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $48,180 | $47,170 | $23 | +10.6% | 400 |
| 8 | Maryland | $47,390 | $46,470 | $23 | +8.8% | 420 |
| 9 | New York | $47,270 | $43,720 | $23 | +8.5% | 1,250 |
| 10 | Vermont | $47,050 | $46,480 | $23 | +8% | 200 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $46,970 | $47,140 | $23 | +7.8% | 150 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $46,750 | $49,190 | $22 | +7.3% | 490 |
| 13 | Colorado | $46,630 | $46,500 | $22 | +7% | 440 |
| 14 | California | $46,570 | $46,370 | $22 | +6.9% | 3,530 |
| 15 | Michigan | $46,480 | $47,680 | $22 | +6.7% | 5,250 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $46,170 | $46,430 | $22 | +6% | 890 |
| 17 | Idaho | $45,810 | $45,730 | $22 | +5.1% | 830 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $45,550 | $44,980 | $22 | +4.5% | 3,310 |
| 19 | Maine | $44,880 | $44,370 | $22 | +3% | 440 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $44,810 | $45,880 | $22 | +2.8% | 100 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $44,660 | $45,820 | $21 | +2.5% | 280 |
| 22 | Montana | $44,390 | $45,610 | $21 | +1.9% | 360 |
| 23 | Ohio | $43,770 | $43,930 | $21 | +0.5% | 2,710 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $43,660 | $44,450 | $21 | +0.2% | 2,610 |
| 25 | Indiana | $43,430 | $41,600 | $21 | -0.3% | 3,570 |
| 26 | Illinois | $43,300 | $41,360 | $21 | -0.6% | 1,820 |
| 27 | Kansas | $42,980 | $43,580 | $21 | -1.4% | 470 |
| 28 | Nevada | $42,620 | $41,090 | $20 | -2.2% | 310 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $42,470 | $41,740 | $20 | -2.5% | 490 |
| 30 | Arizona | $42,390 | $39,440 | $20 | -2.7% | 1,430 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $42,330 | $41,990 | $20 | -2.8% | 1,660 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $42,050 | $38,650 | $20 | -3.5% | 150 |
| 33 | Utah | $42,040 | $39,260 | $20 | -3.5% | 1,050 |
| 34 | Florida | $42,000 | $38,740 | $20 | -3.6% | 1,840 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $41,770 | $42,090 | $20 | -4.1% | 860 |
| 36 | Missouri | $41,340 | $38,640 | $20 | -5.1% | 940 |
| 37 | Virginia | $41,120 | $39,370 | $20 | -5.6% | 1,520 |
| 38 | Georgia | $40,120 | $37,380 | $19 | -7.9% | 2,280 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $39,820 | $40,020 | $19 | -8.6% | 280 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $39,600 | $36,850 | $19 | -9.1% | 760 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $39,540 | $38,080 | $19 | -9.2% | 1,320 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $39,320 | $39,930 | $19 | -9.8% | 40 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $39,140 | $35,990 | $19 | -10.2% | 260 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $38,990 | $37,550 | $19 | -10.5% | 4,090 |
| 45 | Alabama | $38,550 | $36,750 | $19 | -11.5% | 2,580 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $36,350 | $35,290 | $17 | -16.6% | 1,840 |
| 47 | Texas | $35,030 | $33,840 | $17 | -19.6% | 2,130 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 253 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $60,070 | $54,550 | 70 |
| 2 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $59,550 | $57,100 | 70 |
| 3 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $56,950 | $54,430 | 320 |
| 4 | Albany, OR | $56,180 | $53,640 | 110 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,180 | $54,350 | 350 |
| 6 | Bend, OR | $55,400 | $53,460 | 280 |
| 7 | Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $54,630 | $53,890 | 300 |
| 8 | Medford, OR | $52,390 | $52,380 | 160 |
| 9 | Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $51,730 | $51,660 | 70 |
| 10 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $51,730 | $51,520 | 110 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | $65,950 | $65,420 | 170 |
| 2 | Ship and Boat Building | $51,220 | $51,360 | 180 |
| 3 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $46,680 | $47,620 | 1,030 |
| 4 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $46,670 | $47,480 | 1,090 |
| 5 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | $46,660 | $48,130 | 120 |
| 6 | Specialty Trade Contractors | $46,460 | $49,990 | 230 |
| 7 | Building Finishing Contractors | $46,460 | $52,080 | 130 |
| 8 | Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | $46,380 | $47,180 | 40 |
| 9 | Sector 23 - Construction | $46,340 | $50,030 | 280 |
| 10 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | $45,930 | $46,780 | 200 |
| 11 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | $45,790 | $44,470 | 5,390 |
| 12 | Construction of Buildings | $45,680 | $50,210 | 50 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing make in the U.S.?
The median woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary in the United States is $43,380 per year (mean $43,570), and about 80% earn between $32,110 and $56,830.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing make per hour?
Roughly $21 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $43,570 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing at $53,330 per year (median $52,980).
What is the job outlook for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing?
Employment is projected to change -1.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 6,400 openings per year.