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Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing in California
Want to work as a Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing in California? Here’s what the data says. 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. Workers who primarily program or operate CNC equipment are classified in “Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators and Programmers” (51-9160).
What do Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Make in California?
The woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing working in California, the median annual wage is $45,020 per year (or about $21.64/hour).Annual wages span from $37,380 at the 10th percentile to $56,510 at the 90th percentile.
| Wage Statistic | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,380 | $17.97 |
| 25th percentile | $38,390 | $18.46 |
| Median (50th) | $45,020 | $21.64 |
| 75th percentile | $48,720 | $23.42 |
| 90th percentile | $56,510 | $27.17 |
The job concentration index in California relative to the national average — is 0.46, meaning fewer woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing per worker than the national average.
National Wage Comparison
Nationally, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing earn a median of $38,070 per year ($18.30/hour), exceeding the California median.
Employment Outlook
National employment for 445,942 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing nationwide. In California alone, about 3,440 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 880 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing.
Top California Metros for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
These are the California metros with the most woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing in California.
| Metro Area | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 950 | $41,570 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 530 | $45,230 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 290 | $41,780 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 190 | $50,740 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 160 | $46,330 |
| Fresno, CA | 140 | $37,900 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 130 | $45,570 |
| Modesto, CA | 120 | $39,230 |
| Yuba City, CA | 100 | $45,160 |
| Redding, CA | 80 | $45,410 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 80 | $49,580 |
| Chico, CA | 50 | $45,920 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 40 | $38,510 |
| Vallejo, CA | 30 | $47,980 |
Top States for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Employment
The table below shows the states where the most woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing work.
| State | Number Employed |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 4,810 |
| Indiana | 3,980 |
| North Carolina | 3,870 |
| California | 3,440 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,190 |
| Wisconsin | 3,090 |
| Alabama | 2,750 |
| Ohio | 2,650 |
| Georgia | 2,520 |
| Texas | 2,370 |
| Tennessee | 2,250 |
| Oregon | 2,030 |
| Virginia | 1,580 |
| Iowa | 1,570 |
| Kentucky | 1,560 |
| South Carolina | 1,500 |
| Washington | 1,430 |
| Illinois | 1,430 |
| New York | 1,420 |
| Florida | 1,370 |
Highest-Paying States for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Where woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing earn the most: woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing.
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $50,170 |
| Oregon | $49,430 |
| Minnesota | $48,920 |
| Montana | $47,940 |
| Iowa | $47,890 |
| Nebraska | $47,590 |
| Rhode Island | $47,570 |
| Michigan | $46,180 |
| Louisiana | $46,040 |
| New Hampshire | $45,960 |
Skills
The most important woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing 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
The abilities that matter most for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Daily Tasks
Day-to-day, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing typically:
- 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.
- Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
- Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.
- Push or hold workpieces against, under, or through cutting, boring, or shaping mechanisms.
- Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.
Work Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Getting Information
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
- Processing Information
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
Tools & Technology
Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Creative Cloud software
What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?
Related college programs include:
Related Careers
Related occupations to woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing include:
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- 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
Also Known As
Adzing and Boring Machine Operator, Artificial Log Machine Operator, Automatic Clipper, Automatic Nailing Machine Operator, Automatic Profile Shaper Operator, Balloon Sander, Band Nailer, Bander, Barker Operator, Barrel Builder, Barrel Charrer, Barrel Lathe Operator, Barrel Maker, Basket Assembler, Basket Braider.
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: 51-7042.00