What You Need to Know About Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender
Woodworking Machine Operator Example Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate CNC equipment.
Woodworking Machine Operator Responsibilities
- 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.
- Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
- Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
- Sharpen knives, bits, or other cutting or shaping tools.
- Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.
- Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas.
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Things a Woodworking Machine Operator Should Know How to Do
These are the skills Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Wood Coat Hanger Shaper Machine Operator
- Bottom Turning Lathe Turner
- Slack Cooper
- Planer Operator
- Cork Grinder
Is There Job Demand for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 77,100 jobs in the United States for Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 8,400 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Woodworking Machine Operator are Utah, Florida, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Kansas, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Woodworking Machine Operator
The typical yearly salary for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is somewhere between $20,870 and $44,420.

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders who work in Wyoming, Connecticut, or Nevada, make the highest salaries.
How much do Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $28,600 |
Alaska | $36,660 |
Arizona | $27,500 |
Arkansas | $28,110 |
California | $32,360 |
Colorado | $37,050 |
Connecticut | $40,440 |
Florida | $29,150 |
Georgia | $27,650 |
Hawaii | $36,070 |
Idaho | $33,350 |
Illinois | $33,310 |
Indiana | $31,140 |
Iowa | $33,680 |
Kansas | $32,160 |
Kentucky | $27,700 |
Louisiana | $31,570 |
Maine | $30,240 |
Maryland | $32,160 |
Massachusetts | $37,660 |
Michigan | $30,870 |
Minnesota | $36,320 |
Mississippi | $29,660 |
Missouri | $28,940 |
Montana | $34,530 |
Nebraska | $30,160 |
Nevada | $38,300 |
New Hampshire | $35,240 |
New Jersey | $33,090 |
New Mexico | $36,440 |
New York | $35,300 |
North Carolina | $29,630 |
North Dakota | $33,570 |
Ohio | $31,500 |
Oklahoma | $31,190 |
Oregon | $35,950 |
Pennsylvania | $33,220 |
Rhode Island | $32,730 |
South Carolina | $29,360 |
South Dakota | $29,800 |
Tennessee | $28,800 |
Texas | $26,790 |
Utah | $31,160 |
Vermont | $31,650 |
Virginia | $28,730 |
Washington | $35,530 |
West Virginia | $29,430 |
Wisconsin | $31,510 |
Wyoming | $41,170 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- YouTube
- Apple macOS
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
How to Become a Woodworking Machine Operator
Individuals working as a Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Sector

The table below shows the approximate number of Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders employed by various industries.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those who work as a Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Sadie Colbert via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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