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Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood in Louisiana

Thinking about a career as a Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood in Louisiana? Here’s what you need to know. Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Includes lead sawyers. Workers who primarily program or operate CNC equipment are classified in “Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators and Programmers” (51-9160).

What do Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Make in Louisiana?

The sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood working in Louisiana, the median annual wage is $43,140 per year (or roughly $20.74/hour).Earnings range from $29,420 at the 10th percentile to $51,490 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$29,420	$14.15
25th percentile	$30,620	$14.72
Median (50th)	$43,140	$20.74
75th percentile	$46,590	$22.40
90th percentile	$51,490	$24.76

The job concentration index in Louisiana compared to the national average — is 0.83, suggesting fewer sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood earn a median of $67,957 per year ($32.67/hour), below the Louisiana median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 98,686 sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood nationwide. In Louisiana alone, approximately 450 people work in this role. That’s fewer than the typical state, which employs around 840 sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood.

Top Louisiana Metros for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

These are the Louisiana metros with the most sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood in Louisiana.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Baton Rouge, LA	60	$43,140

Top States for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Employment

View the states that employ the most sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood work.

State	Number Employed
California	2,500
North Carolina	2,290
Georgia	2,180
Alabama	2,160
Pennsylvania	2,060
Ohio	2,030
Oregon	2,000
Texas	1,970
Indiana	1,800
Virginia	1,730
Arkansas	1,680
Michigan	1,590
Wisconsin	1,590
Washington	1,580
Mississippi	1,430
Missouri	1,390
Kentucky	1,300
Tennessee	1,130
New York	1,120
Florida	1,090

Highest-Paying States for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

Where sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood earn the most: sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood.

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

Skills

Key sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• 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.
• Clear machine jams, using hand tools.
• Lubricate or clean machines, using wrenches, grease guns, or solvents.
• Adjust bolts, clamps, stops, guides, or table angles or heights, using hand tools.
• Examine logs or lumber to plan the best cuts.

Work Activities

• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Getting Information
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Training and Teaching Others
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

• Woodworking

Related Careers

Careers similar to sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood include:

• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also Known As

Automatic Bandsaw Tender, Automatic Edger, Automatic Log Cut-Off Sawyer, Backup Sawyer, Band Saw Operator, Band Saw Runner, Band Sawyer, Band Scroll Saw Operator, Bandmill Operator, Bandsaw Operator, Bead Cutter, Beading Sawyer, Bill Cutter, Billet Cutter, Block Bolter Mule Operator.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-7041.00