Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary
Production Occupations · 41K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$42,770
Median hourly
$21
Average annual
$43,580
Typical range
$30,890–$58,170
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood is $42,770 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $21 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
Most earn between $30,890 and $58,170 a year. There are roughly 41K people employed as sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood.
- Hourly
- $20.56
- Daily
- $165
- Weekly
- $823
- Bi-weekly
- $1,645
- Monthly
- $3,564
- Annual
- $42,770
$42,770 a year is around the 50th percentile for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Woods. The median is $42,770.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Alaska$52,680
- 2Washington$51,940
- 3Minnesota$51,330
- 4Connecticut$51,150
- 5Oregon$49,740
- 6Montana$49,090
- 7Idaho$48,350
- 8Iowa$48,090
- 9California$47,390
- 10Massachusetts$47,210
- 11Maryland$47,060
- 12Colorado$47,030
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Longview-Kelso, WA$60,100
- 2Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$55,280
- 3Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$54,340
- 4Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$54,090
- 5Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$51,540
- 6San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$50,720
- 7Redding, CA$50,630
- 8Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$50,250
- 9St. Cloud, MN$49,820
- 10Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$49,740
- 11Baton Rouge, LA$49,700
- 12Cleveland, OH$49,610
Related job titles
Employers advertise Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,570
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,620
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,330
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$38,020
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,550
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$52,800
What a Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood does
- Inspect and measure workpieces to mark for cuts and to verify the accuracy of cuts, using rulers, squares, or caliper rules.
- Adjust saw blades, using wrenches and rulers, or by turning handwheels or pressing pedals, levers, or panel buttons.
- Mount and bolt sawing blades or attachments to machine shafts.
- Monitor sawing machines, adjusting speed and tension and clearing jams to ensure proper operation.
- Sharpen blades, or replace defective or worn blades or bands, using hand tools.
- Clear machine jams, using hand tools.
- Lubricate or clean machines, using wrenches, grease guns, or solvents.
- Set up, operate, or tend saws or machines that cut or trim wood to specified dimensions, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, or crozer machines.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood make?
- The median annual wage for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood is $42,770 ($21 per hour). Pay ranges from about $30,890 at the 10th percentile to $58,170 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $43,580, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Woods the most?
- Alaska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $52,680.
- Is Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 41K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood do?
- Inspect and measure workpieces to mark for cuts and to verify the accuracy of cuts, using rulers, squares, or caliper rules.; Adjust saw blades, using wrenches and rulers, or by turning handwheels or pressing pedals, levers, or panel buttons.; Mount and bolt sawing blades or attachments to machine shafts..