Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Job Zone 2 - Some preparation needed
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.
Median pay: $43,380/yr (U.S. national, May 2025)
Typical range nationwide (10th–90th percentile). This is a population snapshot, not a personal prediction - actual pay varies by location, employer, and experience.
Job outlook: -1.8% projected growth, 2024–2034 — declining.
About 6,400 openings per year, on average, over the decade.
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS and Employment Projections.
• 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.
What's the median pay for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
The median pay for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is $43,380 per year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What's the job outlook for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
Employment for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is projected to change -1.8% from 2024 to 2034 - declining.
What education is typically required for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
How many job openings are there each year for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing?
About 6,400 openings per year, on average, over the decade.