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Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood: Career Profile
Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Includes lead sawyers.
What Do Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Do?
The core tasks performed by sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood cover:
- 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.
- 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.
- Inspect stock for imperfections or to estimate grades or qualities of stock or workpieces.
- 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.
- Guide workpieces against saws, saw over workpieces by hand, or operate automatic feeding devices to guide cuts.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Automatic Bandsaw Tender
- Automatic Edger
- Automatic Log Cut-Off Sawyer
- Backup Sawyer
- Band Saw Operator
- Band Saw Runner
- Band Sawyer
- Band Scroll Saw Operator
Employment and Demand
There are about 98,686 sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +8.4% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $67,957 |
| Hourly median | $32.67 |
| 10th percentile | $39,766 |
| 25th percentile | $53,861 |
| 75th percentile | $82,052 |
| 90th percentile | $96,148 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $49,660 |
| Montana | $48,950 |
| Minnesota | $48,930 |
| Washington | $48,830 |
| Idaho | $48,630 |
| Iowa | $47,740 |
| Illinois | $47,730 |
| Massachusetts | $47,430 |
| Colorado | $46,550 |
| California | $45,540 |
| Vermont | $44,920 |
| Ohio | $44,710 |
| Alaska | $44,390 |
| Nebraska | $43,800 |
| Wisconsin | $43,190 |
| Louisiana | $43,140 |
| Maine | $42,900 |
| Connecticut | $42,870 |
| Arizona | $42,810 |
| New Hampshire | $42,750 |
| Wyoming | $42,680 |
| New York | $42,370 |
| New Jersey | $41,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,980 |
| Delaware | $40,580 |
| South Carolina | $40,210 |
| Michigan | $39,940 |
| Indiana | $39,470 |
| Missouri | $38,610 |
| Georgia | $38,370 |
| Utah | $38,170 |
| South Dakota | $38,100 |
| Florida | $37,800 |
| Alabama | $37,550 |
| Kansas | $37,350 |
| Tennessee | $36,950 |
| Texas | $36,520 |
| Arkansas | $36,120 |
| North Carolina | $36,060 |
| Kentucky | $35,750 |
| Virginia | $35,730 |
| Mississippi | $35,690 |
| Oklahoma | $34,330 |
| Nevada | $32,970 |
| West Virginia | $28,660 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $47,429 | 14.6% | 1.77 |
| Rocky Mountains | $46,092 | 3.3% | 1.57 |
| New England | $43,356 | 3.1% | 2.80 |
| Plains States | $42,561 | 7.2% | 1.32 |
| Great Lakes | $42,557 | 18.2% | 1.51 |
| Middle Atlantic | $39,214 | 8.1% | 0.87 |
| Southwest | $37,175 | 5.6% | 0.48 |
| Southeast | $36,700 | 39.9% | 2.44 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula, MT | MT | $53,750 | 40 |
| Albany, OR | OR | $51,410 | 120 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $51,000 | 90 |
| Montgomery, AL | AL | $50,690 | 70 |
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $50,480 | 270 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $50,210 | 60 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $50,060 | 340 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | WA | $49,830 | 140 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 36,850 | $39,780 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,370 | $42,340 |
| Retail Trade | 1,090 | $42,380 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 810 | $34,610 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 460 | $46,500 |
| Construction | 200 | $53,330 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 150 | $40,040 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 70 | $44,210 |
Below are examples of industries where sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood work:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
Typical sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood typically earn programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-7041.00 (Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood).
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